


Thorns Have Roses

by Codee21



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BAMF Rose Weasley, Bigotry & Prejudice, Canon Compliant, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Friendship/Love, Harry Potter Next Generation, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Head Boys & Head Girls, Hurt/Comfort, Not Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Oblivious Albus Severus Potter, Original Character(s), POV Rose Weasley, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Quidditch, Ravenclaw Albus Severus Potter, Ravenclaw Rose Weasley, Ravenclaw Scorpius Malfoy, Ron Weasley Bashing, Rose Weasley is a Potions Prodigy, Scorpius Malfoy & Albus Severus Potter Friendship, Teenage Drama, Threats of Violence, mentions of family abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2019-09-14 08:39:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16909722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Codee21/pseuds/Codee21
Summary: "We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."Rose Weasley and Albus Potter befriended Scorpius Malfoy on the Hogwarts Express, and for better or worse they've never regretted it.  This is a story of the unlikely new Golden Trio's adventures and the obstacles they face - hexes, prejudice, death, and even romance - as well as the things they gain.NOTE: THIS FIC WILL NOT BE COMPLETED - read up to Year 7 (~127k) on FFN.





	1. The First Page

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to what has been my heart's pet project for the past 3.5 years :) Now that I've graduated from college and am finished with the main med school application process, I'll have more time to wrap this up with a neat little bow before summer of 2019.
> 
> This fic currently has 38 chapters posted on FFn under the same title and username. If you really can't wait to find out what happens next, feel free to go there to get your fix. I'd recommend that you just stay put here, however - I'm using this as an opportunity to make spelling, grammar, and continuity corrections as I go along. None of the issues are particularly egregious, but still, this will be the prettier version. I'll be updating regularly until I catch up to my FFn postings, since the actual material is already written, and after that I'll be posting to both simultaneously for my readers on either platform. 
> 
> My writing has improved in the past few years, but for integrity's (and time's) sake I don't want to change TOO much from what I've already got - so you'll see a change in voice as things progress, though I like to think that the growth in voice couples nicely with Rose's own growth through the years.
> 
> I also reserve the right to add a little content here and there from what's on FFn if I feel something's missing from the original, or combine a few chapters when they're really too short. So again, this is the best place to read from! Also, if you're following me over from FFn and feel like there was something I missed in the original postings that really should be included, leave a comment and I'll consider it. Or just leave a comment because I'm a greedy little thing who writes faster with praise ;)
> 
> Enjoy, and I hope to see you around here and on the rest of my page!

**First Year**

_Part One_

 

The train rounded a corner, and all at once Rose lost sight of her parents on Platform 9 ¾. Her hand, like Albus', was still raised in a gesture of farewell through the nearest window; she withdrew it slowly, reluctantly, because doing so meant that she really had left her family. Well, not all of them, she thought as she reached down to squeeze her cousin's palm. There would be many members of the Potter-Weasley clan attending Hogwarts this year, and she knew that with their guidance she would adapt quickly. The question now was whether any of them would deign to share a compartment on the overcrowded train with two first years.  
  
Twenty minutes later, she had her answer: a resounding no. Each family member Rose and Albus had passed, most of whom were easily identified by their red hair, either had no room to spare or, as in Fred and James' case, refused on principle (even though they were only second years). As they reached the end of the train, when they had all but given up hope of finding seats, Rose glanced into the very last compartment and saw that it was vacant except for one small, pale, blonde boy whom she recognized from the platform. Although she knew her father would have preferred for her not to associate with Scorpius Malfoy, she could see no way to avoid the interaction and doubted he would hold it against her if it was limited to this single occasion. Moreover, her arms ached from pulling her heavy belongings along the entire length of the train, and more than anything she wanted to sit and rest. Still, she hesitated.  
  
Albus finally interrupted her thoughts, reading them with his usual uncanny precision. "Uncle Ron hates Draco Malfoy, not his son; there's a difference. Or at least, there should be." In his mind that settled the matter, and without further ado Albus pulled his heavy trunk and nervous owl into the nearly empty compartment. Through the glass, Rose watched to see how the probable future Slytherin would react. Much to her surprise, the Malfoy boy's face lit up into a smile after a few moments of conversation with Albus; the expression transformed him, erasing all trace of resemblance to his father's white, pinched face.  
  
Encouraged by this, Rose opened the compartment door. As if on cue, she heard her name being spoken as she entered:  
  
"-my cousin Rose-"  
  
Al broke off as he heard the scrape of the sliding door and turned to her as he sat across from Malfoy. He smiled just as the other boy's expression grew wary.  
  
"Ah, there you are. Rose, this is Scorpius Malfoy; Scorpius, this is Rose. She won't bite, I promise."  
  
Rose, who hated it when Albus spoke for her, muttered under her breath about making promises he couldn't keep. It was an empty threat, however, and Scorpius seemed to sense this. The wide, genuine grin she'd viewed through the window returned for one brief moment before once again collapsing into caution. Curious, Rose stepped toward him and held out her hand.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Scorpius."  
  
After a moment's pause, Scorpius shook her hand.  
  
"Pleased to meet you."  
  
She sat down next to her cousin. She could see Scorpius was on the verge of saying something, and he had that odd guarded look on his face again, but before he could overcome his hesitancy, Albus made a comment about blubbering humdingers; although Rose had heard this same joke from Lysander Scamander only last week, it helped defuse the strange tension she sensed coming from Scorpius and laughed gratefully. The trio continued to talk as the scarlet Hogwarts Express wound through the countryside, slowly getting to know one another beyond their surnames.  
  
"Another Weasley?" The Sorting Hat's voice filled Rose's mind as she sat on a stool in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. "The Burrow hasn't run out of you yet, it seems. Most of them belong to Gryffindor, and you'd do great things there as well…"  
  
Rose held her breath.  
  
"…but that's not what you want, is it? You want to make a name for yourself beyond your family's bravery, hmm? Well, you're ambitious enough to be a Slytherin. And your quick compassion and loyalty to those you care for makes you a promising candidate for Hufflepuff."  
  
Rose blushed. Her gaze flitted to the Ravenclaw table decorated with blue and bronze hangings, where Albus was sitting, looking hopefully up at her- and so was Scorpius, she noted with a bit of surprise. Gone was that peculiar look of uncertainty he'd seemed to have around her on the train; she only hoped it would last- she rather liked him, and wondered what it would be like to be his friend. The boys sat next to one another on the long bench, the inky black hair of her cousin startling next to the near-white blonde of Malfoy's.  
  
It had been shock enough when Scorpius Malfoy, son of Draco, grandson of infamous Death Eater Lucius and relation to countless other dark wizards, had been sorted into Ravenclaw before the Sorting Hat had even come to fully rest on his head. Whispers of a Confundus Charm rippled across the Great Hall but soon quieted. Albus came next, and rather than soothing the crowd with a quick placement into Gryffindor as was expected, he sat on the stool for five minutes and twenty seconds: the first Hatstall since Peter Pettigrew and Minerva McGonagall before him. Finally, he was sorted into Ravenclaw. For a solid two minutes, the Great Hall was pandemonium. It seemed that although both Scorpius and Albus had to fight to leave the shadow of their families, more was demanded of Albus in carrying on tradition.  
  
"Well, you certainly have your mother's brains, and you've become wise beyond your years. You're well-suited for both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, and although I must advise you that the best decisions made for the wrong reasons can have their own consequences, I think you'll certainly reach your potential in RAVENCLAW."  
  
The last word became a shout, audible to the rest of the Hogwarts assembly. Once again there was a commotion, but Rose didn't give two knuts about what any of them thought or expected of her as long as she was able to sit with Scorpius and Al.

* * *

 

Rose sat at the top of the spiral staircase of Ravenclaw Tower, tears streaming down her face. She had only been at Hogwarts for three days, and on her first try to enter the common room by herself after getting kicked out of the library at curfew, she'd been unable to answer the eagle door knocker’s riddle. More time had passed, and as the hour grew later and Rose grew more tired, she became progressively more upset. Hadn't she, after all, convinced the Sorting Hat to place her in Ravenclaw against its better instinct? It had wanted to sort her into Gryffindor; she could certainly defend others, and herself - growing up in such a large family had necessitated it. But Ravenclaw? What had made her think she could be a Ravenclaw? She couldn't even answer a stupid, most likely simple question posed by an animated object. Rose loved her house, with its spacious common room that she could sit and read in without anyone teasing her about being a bookworm, their intriguing ghost the Grey Lady, the other first years she considered to be her friends… but thinking of them was exactly what had gotten her into this spot, wasn't it? 

  
Rose was about to start circling all over again when she saw a shock of platinum hair emerge at the bottom corner of her view of the stairs. A moment later, she was able to identify the individual it belonged to - Scorpius. Hastily she stood and dried her cheeks with the sleeve of her robe, although she knew that her red eyes must make her attempt at subterfuge a lost cause.  
  
Caution filled Scorpius' face when he caught sight of her, as per usual. Rose quickly snapped at him "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

Scorpius ignored her question. "Are you okay?"

She nodded unconvincingly, looking down at the hem of her robes. He eyed her, and then his gaze flitted to the eagle-shaped bronze door knocker guarding their common room. Understanding filled his features, and he stepped up to the door to grab the knocker firmly in his hand before letting it fall with a thud. The eagle's eyes opened and its soft, musical voice spoke:  
  
"If a tree falls in the Forbidden Forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"  
  
Scorpius thought carefully for a moment before answering, sounding unsure.  
  
"Yes? Because it could be detected by a Supersensory Charm, couldn't it?"  
  
"Good deduction," answered the eagle before to door swung open to admit them. It was empty, which was unusual since most Ravenclaws preferred to stay up late studying. Rose followed Scorpius and sat next to a window that gave a beautiful view of the Black Lake during the day.  
  
"Thank you," she said quietly, embarrassed, looking out the window although it was much too dark to see anything.  
  
"I'm just glad I could answer it - this would have been my second time getting locked out if I hadn't."  
  
Rose was thoroughly shocked. "Really? But the Sorting Hat put you into Ravenclaw immediately!"  
  
Scorpius shrugged. "That just means I like to learn. I certainly don't know everything. The door knocker is supposed to make you think about things you haven't already."  
  
"I guess I hadn't looked at it that way." After a pause, she added: "That makes me feel better about being a good fit for Ravenclaw, at least. I've been so worried that I made the Sorting Hat put me in the wrong House- it said I would do well in Gryffindor, but I don't want to be just like my family."  
  
"Nothing wrong with that - if it had wanted to put me in Slytherin, I'd have asked not to - there's already been enough Malfoys in Slytherin. It's time to shake things up a bit."  
  
"I feel the same," said Rose. She bit her lip. "I'm not sure my family will agree, though. I haven't told them about the Sorting yet. Al and I persuaded James, Fred and the others to keep quiet for a bit - they weren't too pleased either."  
  
"I haven't written my family," said Scorpius. "I've been too nervous. Maybe tomorrow, we can get Albus and the three of us can send out our owls together?" His voice climbed slightly higher at this question, as if he was nervous about how it would be received.  
  
She nodded. "You still didn't answer my question. Why do you look at me like that sometimes?"  
  
He responded with a sigh. "You're just not what I was expecting, Rose Weasley. My dad respects Al's dad, grudgingly, and he thinks your mum is brilliant…"  
  
"But he never liked my dad, did he?"  
  
Scorpius shook his head. "He doesn't particularly care for any Weasleys, really." Malfoy at least had the decency to look ashamed at this. "The war changed a lot of his opinions, and it's not that he's ever talked badly about your family…"  
  
"What exactly were you led to expect?"  
  
"Irate. Loud. Prejudiced against purebloods, with good reason. And very, very red."  
  
Rose snorted. "We do tend to have a bit of a temper - Nana Weasley says it comes with the red hair. And we are loud - every Christmas at the Burrow we sound like a stampede of hippogriffs. As for the prejudice-" she shrugs. "Your lot hated us for so long, what else did you expect? Although I'd like to think we're moving past those things…" she bit her lip. "Dad wouldn't exactly be happy if he knew we were friends."  
  
Scorpius' face lit up with the same smile she'd noticed when they'd met, and she realized that up until this moment he hadn't quite trusted that she considered him a friend.  
  
And so it came to pass that a Potter, a Malfoy and a Weasley sat at the edge of the Black Lake after their lessons the next day under the shade of a large old oak, making out letters to their families.


	2. A House is Not a Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I'd give you a proof of my good intentions in updating this fic regularly by posting chapter two today :) Enjoy, and please leave kudos and comments if you like what you're reading!

**First Year**

_Part Two_

   
Although Hagrid may have anticipated that Rose would join Albus on his visit that Friday, she thought it was fairly certain to say he hadn't planned on having Scorpius Malfoy for tea as well. As it was, Scorpius insisted that he wanted to finish the Potions essay they had just been assigned before venturing out of the castle, telling them it was rude to keep Hagrid waiting on his account and that he would just catch up when he was done. Rose saw through his efforts to give the half-giant advance notice that he would be coming, but didn't want to push him. Still, she thought it was stupid and unnecessary.  
  
Rose relented that Scorpius' plan may have, in fact, been wise after Hagrid spit out a mouthful of tea when she and Al told him the name of their closest friend at Hogwarts. After using a tablecloth-sized napkin to dry his beard, and after assurances that the youngest Malfoy was a paragon of wizardry and a perfect gentleman, Hagrid relented and agreed to welcome the boy when he came.  
  
When Scorpius arrived a few minutes later (realized I'd forgotten several properties of moonstone and wanted to ask you two first), he was jumped and slobbered on by Hagrid's new pup Saber. This was a good sign, as Hagrid often trusted his animals to be keen judges of character, though whether or not this was true was not exactly clear considering his fondness for creatures that would prefer to bite than cuddle. Scorpius was determined to make a good impression, trying to be charming and humble and funny and respectful all at once. He was so jittery that he was somehow able to knock over an entire tray of rock cakes, which Rose and Albus had only been pretending to take nibbles from for fear of breaking a tooth. After cleaning up the mess without magic and apologizing countless times, his place in Hagrid's good books was secured, and he was invited to join Albus and Rose for tea in his hut every Friday.  
  
Hagrid couldn't stop chuckling as he watched the threesome make their way to the castle, until their heads were no more than specks of black, white and red. "Well who woulda though'?" he kept repeating to himself.

 

* * *

  
  
On Sunday morning, their three owls soared into the Great Hall side by side at breakfast time, only several inches between the tips of their wings. Circe, Rose's great white snowy owl, landed in her porridge. Albus' tawny owl Paracelcus (often shortened to Pear), upended the milk jug, creating a white flood that surged down the Ravenclaw table until Rose mopped it up with a simple cleaning spell. Orion quietly landed in front of Scorpius, giving his grey feathers a dignified ruffle before sticking out his leg, which bore a scroll with writing in emerald ink. After each owl had been relieved of its burden, they helped themselves to their masters' breakfasts, which had been completely forgotten.  
  
Without a word, the trio headed to the Black Lake, and upon reaching its shores headed to the oak tree to read their correspondence privately; the thought of abandoning the other two in order to read the letter in isolation, however, did not cross any of their minds - not even Scorpius, an only child who had just met his companions a week ago.  
  
Rose's envelope contained two sheets of parchment. The first was from her mother:

  
  
_Dear Rose,_  
  
_Congratulations on your Sorting and on completing your first week of classes! Hugo, your father and I are all very proud of you. I've heard Ravenclaw Tower is a beautiful study spot, and I'm sure you'll take advantage of it and all else your house has to offer. On that note, it would great it if you could send me some of the riddles to enter your common room every once in a while - you know how I do love puzzles._  
  
_Best of luck sweetheart, and we can't wait to see you for the holidays!_  
  
_Love,_  
  
_Mum_

  
  
The second was a letter from Hugo:

  
  
_Dear Miss Smarty Pants, (I'm so glad Nana and Papa Granger taught me that one!)_  
  
_You just had to give me more to live up to, huh?_  
  
_It was a bit of a shock to Dad at first, but now he can't stop telling customers about his brilliant Ravenclaw daughter. He's driving people out of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes by the boatload. I hope you're proud of yourself._  
  
_It's too quiet around here without you to bicker with. Please write._  
  
_Love,_  
  
_Hugo_  
  
_P.S. The Chudley Cannons are in third!_

  
  
Rose let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Mum's letter, while loving and thoughtful, wasn't nearly as effective as Hugo's in convincing her of her family's happiness with her Sorting. She almost laughed aloud when she pictured her father gloating about her to the customers, following them around the store as they attempted to stock up on Puking Pastilles and Extendable Ears. She turned to Albus, about to tell him the joke, until she looked past him and realized that Scorpius had become even paler than usual.  
  
"What did they say?" Rose asked him quietly. He handed her the parchment; she could feel Al leaning over her shoulder as she read:

  
  
_Dear Scorpius,_  
  
_Thank you for informing us of your Sorting. Though Ravenclaw does not have quite the same prestige as Slytherin, we support you in your endeavors and expect you to do well in your studies. It will be your responsibility, however, to tell Grandfather Lucius about your divergence from Malfoy tradition and convince him that the Sorting Hat did not make a mistake; I expect you to send him a letter soon so he has time to adjust before the holidays._  
  
_Your mother wishes me to inform you that she will be knitting you several blue scarves and sweaters, and inquires as to whether you require matching socks._  
  
_Regards,_  
  
_Father_

  
  
"Does he always sound so… cold?" Rose asked.  
  
"Not quite this much," answered Scorpius. "Though I guess this is the first letter I've ever gotten from him. I'm surprised Mum didn't write me, actually."  
  
"Well, he didn't sound thrilled, a bit sarcastic maybe, but at least he seemed alright about it. And it wasn't a Howler."  
  
Scorpius shook his head. "I'm not safe yet. I still have to write Grandfather. He'll probably come here to yell at me in person."

 

* * *

 

Fortunately, Lucius Malfoy did not make an appearance at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He did not send Scorpius a Howler either, much to the surprise of the three friends (though none of them had admitted their fear out loud). Instead, he ignored his grandson's correspondence. Scorpius would have worried that Orion had dropped the letter, a suggestion the owl's proud feathers surely would have bristled at, if not for the response he eventually received from his grandmother:

  
  
_Scorpius,_  
  
_Your mother, father and I are trying to convince your grandfather to see you over the holidays. As it stands, he claims he will refuse to leave our wing of Malfoy Manor as long as you reside there. I'm sorry it's come to this; I know you couldn't help where you were sorted. We'll try our best._  
  
_Sincerely,_  
  
_Narcissa Malfoy_

  
  
After rereading the short letter half a dozen times, Scorpius wordlessly handed the parchment to Rose. She quickly scanned the page, becoming upset on her friend's behalf. Mr. Malfoy's reaction, while not unexpected, still confused her. Although she had been worried about telling her family she'd been placed in Ravenclaw rather than Gryffindor, she never could have imagined disownment as a possible outcome. Did it really take that little for Lucius, who seemed to have valued his family above all else at the end of the War, to lose affection for his only grandchild? Her eyes found Scorpius'. What must he be thinking right now? She reached out and wrapped him in a long, comforting hug that he neither fought nor returned. The boy sat, stunned, not used to physical affection beyond the occasional pat on the shoulder from his father and quick kiss on his cheek from his mother's cold lips.  
  
Al looked up from his book to pour himself more pumpkin juice when he caught sight of his two best friends and stared; he had been too absorbed in his reading to notice Orion's arrival or the silent exchange that had taken place.  
  
Scorpius was distracted for the rest of the day after receiving his grandmother's letter, which Rose and Albus attempted to conceal from their professors. In Transfiguration, which they had with the Gryffindors, they were instructed to pair up and take turns changing a matchstick into a needle. Since this was Al's top subject, he thought it best to work with the preoccupied Scorpius. This left Rose to find her own partner. She spotted Gregory Ollivander from her own house sitting alone in the corner, but as she attempted to cross the classroom her path was blocked by a tall Gryffindor girl. Smiling, the girl walked up to her. "Do you have a partner yet?" Rose glanced to the corner again and saw Gregory sitting with Mary Parker, so she shook her head. The girl sat down in the empty desk to their right, leaving Rose space to sit between her and Albus.  
  
"I'm Andrea Sterling, but you can call me Andy."  
  
Rose nodded. "Rose Weasley."  
  
Rose was worried that she would have to spend extra time in class helping her partner learn the spell; she had been practicing in the common room with a few older students last night and had already mastered today's lesson. This had been why, at least in part, she had wanted to work with Gregory - he often read ahead in their texts as well, and he picked up on things fairly quickly.  
  
It seemed that Rose's concerns were unnecessary, however, as Andy proved to be a fast learner. After a few attempts, the Gryffindor managed a perfect transformation, creating a silver needle that sparkled in the torchlight and earned her house five points. Once Rose had repeated the spell a few times, playing around with creating needles of different sizes and materials and earning a few House Points in the process, it seemed there was not much else to do other than talk to her partner.  
  
"So you're a Weasley - your family was involved in that war, right?"  
  
Rose blushed profusely. "Yes, well, we don't talk about it much. Mum and Dad get a lot of attention because of it, it makes going places really embarrassing." Rose's expression grew more serious. "Mum got hurt - she still has a scar on her arm. And my uncle died."  
  
Andy's voice grew quiet. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm still trying to learn wizard dos and don'ts - I'm a Muggle-born."  
  
Rose relaxed. "No, it's okay. I can explain some things later, if you'd like. Class just probably isn't the best time."  
  
"Of course."  
  
The pair were silent for a few minutes. Rose turned her head to check on her cousin and friend. Scorpius, it seemed, was still having trouble focusing. The head of his matchstick had become rather pointed, however, and Albus was in the process of praising and encouraging him. Rose thought absently that her cousin would make a great teacher.  
  
"So Andy, what do your parents do?"  
  
The girl gave her wand a half-hearted wave, turning three matches into three golden needles of varying size. "Dad's a medical malpractice solicitor. Mum went to university, but now she stays at home to raise my brother and I. Michael's sixteen, and he's as ordinary as they come. Honestly, I'm surprised you know Muggles can have different jobs - most students in our year seem to think they just drive around in cars all day."  
  
"My mum's parents are Muggles. They used to be dentists, before they retired. And how did they react when your Hogwarts letter came?"  
  
Andy rolled her eyes. "Dad gave me a hard time, but he does that with everything. Mum was thrilled. Michael teased me to no end; not in a mean way, though."  
  
Rose nodded. "I have a younger brother, Hugo. Sometimes I think annoying me is his only satisfaction in life."  
  
Rose continued to talk with Andy until the class ended. "Well, it was nice to meet you Rose! Mind if I take you up on that history lesson some time?"  
  
She smiled. "Sure thing." Secretly, Rose was just happy she'd made friends with a girl she wasn't related to.


	3. “Christmas waves a magic wand”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title quote from Norman Vincent Peale

**First Year**  
_Part Three_

In what seemed like the blink of an eye to the trio, December arrived. Scorpius, though still nervous as to whether his grandfather would refuse to see him, was getting particularly good at pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind. He, Rose and Al all led their year in certain subjects: Albus had remained at the top in Transfiguration, Rose had a particular talent in Potions, and Scorpius once again defied familial expectations with top marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Gregory Ollivander was best in Charms, a Hufflepuff by the name of Charlie McLeod ranked highest in Herbology, Slytherin Delilah Macnair had top marks in History of Magic, and Andy Sterling was first in Astronomy. Of course, this meant that by the time the Christmas holidays rolled around there was a seven way tie for the top of the year, a Hogwarts first that pleased none of the students involved.

Scorpius surprised his two closest friends with an uncharacteristic hug as the Hogwarts Express pulled into Kings Cross. "Promise you'll write?" In these final moments, he dropped his calm façade and allowed them to see just how nervous he was about how his family would treat him. Without a second thought, Rose returned his tight embrace. "Of course," she said. "Have to make sure you don't forget about us, won't we?" As Albus turned around to lift his trunk from the overhead rack, Rose murmured to Scorpius "It's only a few weeks; we'll all three be back and first in our year before you know it."

Albus and Rose were careful to exit the Hogwarts Express from a different compartment than Scorpius when they arrived at Kings Cross; they were able to find and exit with James, Fred, Victoire, Dominique, Molly and Louis, all of whom gave the pair a pointed look but said nothing. Though both were considering telling their family, neither wanted to start the Christmas holidays off with a row; and as for Scorpius, he would have enough to worry about simply because of the House he belonged to.

Though Ron and Hugo had wanted to accompany Hermione to Kings Cross to pick up Rose, she wanted to spend time with her daughter alone, especially since she'd be at work for a good portion of the holidays. True to form, Hermione asked Rose about her placement in the class within ten minutes of the train's arrival. While Rose wasn't happy having to explain why she wasn't first in everything, she decided to use the opportunity to test the waters concerning Scorpius.

"…and Scorpius Malfoy has the top grade in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He's really very talented, and Professor Chang thinks he might even be able to cast a full Patronus by third year like Uncle Harry."

Her mother briefly made a face as she drove, which Rose was able to catch a glimpse of in the rear view mirror. "Really? What house was he sorted into?"

"Ravenclaw, with Al and I."

"Well, hopefully he won't be like the rest of his family."

"Oh no, not at all," Rose responded quickly. Apparently her response had been too fast. Hermione looked at her daughter in the mirror and caught her eye.

"Are you friends with him, Rose?"

She could only nod; the words wouldn't come to her suddenly dry mouth. Perhaps this hadn't been the best time to recommend Scorpius to her mother after all.

Hermione's eyes returned to the road and she sighed. "Well, this certainly complicates things," she spoke in a quiet tone. "I'm honestly not sure what your father will do."

"Mum, please don't tell him. Not yet."

"Well really dear, what do you expect me to do?"

"I promise I'll tell him before I go back. Just give me some time to lead up to it, and tell him myself. You know how he'll react if you spring it on him tonight. It'll help once Al tells Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny too."

Hermione sighed again. "Alright Rose."

Rose stayed silent for a few moments before speaking up again. "Mum? I think you'd like him."

Her mother met her gaze in the rear view mirror again. "You're a good judge of character sweetie, and I'm sure you're right. And it's high time we start breaking down these old prejudices - they've been the cause of far too much trouble. It's just hard to forget what the Malfoys believed in for so long."

Rose stared out the window, watching the city fade into the rolling hills of the countryside. "I think Scorpius agrees with you. He said he wanted to be in Ravenclaw because it was time for a change."

Hermione paused, then spoke quietly "I think I'd like to meet him."

 

* * *

 

 

Christmas at the Burrow was always a large, noisy affair, filled with Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs, delicious smells, matching homemade sweaters, and nearly thirty of Rose's closest relatives (and family friends, as was the case with Kingsley Shacklebolt). Though this created a merry atmosphere, it was also fairly overwhelming. As Rose, Ron, Hermione and Hugo stepped out of the fireplace, it soon became apparent that they were entering into the annual red and green anarchy.

Fred and James were running through the crowded house, causing mayhem with a Fanged Frisbee and several dozen Super Wizard Crackers. When Hugo spotted them he eagerly entered in the chase, joining Roxanne in the procession. Lily followed behind, yelling at all of them when they knocked over a lamp or a person (which was quite often). Lucy cowered behind her slightly, rounding out the tail of the group, not wanting to get in trouble but also not wanting to be left behind.

Meanwhile, Nana Weasley stood in the center of the kitchen, commanding objects with her wand and people with her voice simultaneously. Occasionally she would pause to shout at James, Fred, or one of her other grandchildren, though no one was exactly sure how she was able to see them even when her head was turned the other way. She was joined in the kitchen by Ginny, Harry, Audrey, Angelina and Fleur, all of whom scurried frantically to keep up with her orders; Victoire could be seen weaving a complicated repeating dance in and out of the action, helping to prepare dishes before sneaking off to find Teddy. Dominique, Molly and Louis gathered in the sitting room (Dominique was only a few months older but a school year ahead of the other two) to discuss all of the latest Gryffindor gossip. This earned them amused glances from Ron, Hermione (who had offered to help cook but had been quickly and politely dismissed due to her somewhat lacking cooking skills), Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, Kingsley, Mr. Weasley and Andromeda, who were jumping topics from Quidditch to wizarding affairs to Celestina Warbeck's impending retirement.

Rose traveled through all the rooms on the ground floor and began to wonder where Albus was. Just as she was about to ask Uncle Harry, however, she felt someone grab her by the elbow and pull her upstairs. Albus released her once he'd led her to Aunt Ginny's old room, checking to make sure the door was shut carefully behind them.

"My parents know about Scorpius," he burst out. "James let it slip, the idiot… I'm sorry Rose. I know we were planning on waiting 'till after Christmas at least."

She sighed. "It's alright, Mum knows too. She read me like… well, a textbook. I didn't even make it home from Kings Cross. How did they take it?"

"Pretty well, considering. They actually asked if they could meet him."

"Mum too. I can't see him telling his family anytime soon though; he said in his last letter that his grandfather might agree to spend Christmas with the rest of the Malfoys as long as no one talked about Ravenclaw."

Albus shrugged. "Guess we'll have to wait and see." He paused. "When are you telling your dad? I think you should let him know, and soon, before someone accidentally mentions it."

"Tomorrow. I'll do it tomorrow. Hopefully everyone who knows can keep their traps shut for one more night."

When the cousins exited the spare bedroom and rejoined the rest of the family, they discovered it was nearly time to eat. The pair headed outside, where a warming charm had been placed around the garden so that a table long enough to accommodate them all could be erected. Rose and Albus sat across from James and Fred, with Lily and Hugo on either side; they felt as if they were about to go deaf any moment. As soon as the adults who had been working in the kitchen started levitating an endless procession of platters and bowls, however, the garden grew quiet. Grandpa stood, and was joined by Nana Weasley when the food had reached the table, where it continued to hover a foot above its surface. Rose looked up and down the table at her smiling relatives (and Kingsley), clad in their new Weasley sweaters.

"Thank you for joining us for another Christmas - Molly and I are so happy and proud to see how this family has grown, both bigger and closer. And because I know I won't be able to get another sentence in without there being a riot - Dig in!" The trays of food all fell to the table with a thump, splashing a few soups and sauces into the faces of those in front of them, but everyone was far too busy helping themselves to care. As usual, sitting encircled by several growing males meant that Rose had to utilize her quick reflexes and pointy elbows to fill her plate, but she loved every second of it. How must Scorpius feel, she wondered, coming from such a small family?

After dessert, Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny started a family Quidditch match in the orchard, another tradition that Rose loved, while her mother and those who were not so sports inclined broke into a new bottle of spiced mead. Though the teams were formally chosen anew each Christmas, the rosters hadn't changed for years except for Teddy's replacement by Hugo and Uncle Bill's by Louis. Rose, Lily and Hugo were always Chasers on Uncle Harry's team, with her dad as Keeper, Fred and Roxanne as Beaters, and Uncle Harry as the obvious choice for Seeker. On the other side, Aunt Ginny, Dominique and Molly were Chasers, Louis played Keeper, Uncle George and Uncle Charlie were Beaters, and Albus played Seeker against his father. Though James had no shortage of passion for Quidditch, he’d long ago resigned himself to the fact that - unlike his namesake - he wasn’t particularly skilled on a broom. Instead, he once again volunteered to play referee and scorekeeper.

Rose headed back to the house to pull the colored cloaks with a Heat Spell placed on them out of the broom cupboard, when she saw Orion land on the windowsill. Dropping the cloaks, she rushed to grab the owl's letter before anyone else in her family could spot him. Orion appeared to sense that he should not be seen, for as soon as Rose had untied the scroll from his leg he returned to the sky. Rose bit her lip as she read what Scorpius had written:

 

_Dear Rose,_

_Thanks for the Sneakoscope - it kept going off this morning, which in retrospect should have given me a warning of what would happen tonight. I hope you like the Licorice Wands; I thought I remembered you saying they’re your favorite._

_Grandfather had apparently asked Delilah Macnair for information on me - never underestimate the Pureblood information network - because when he came to dinner tonight he told the rest of my family about our friendship and broke a few pieces of Mum's china in the process. You'll be happy to know that my mother defended me; she argued with him for over an hour until she fainted - she's been rather fatigued lately. Although my father and grandmother seemed less than pleased when they discovered the allegations were true, Dad started yelling once he and Grandmother had taken mother to bed, and they're still at it downstairs. Suffice it to say that Malfoy Manor is now a horrible place to live and I intend to stay in my room until school starts._

_I'm sorry and hope this doesn’t spoil your holiday. Please write when you can._

_Happy Christmas,_

_Scorpius_

 

Rose's heart broke for her friend as she finished and reread the letter. She couldn't begin to imagine what it must feel like, not to be welcome in your own house during the holidays. Unfortunately she'd left Circe at home, Orion had already flown away, and she had no intention of sending one of her Gryffindor grandparents' owls to Malfoy Manor. She ran back to the broom cupboard, grabbed the cloaks, and headed back outside to the orchard, hoping no one had noticed how long the task had taken her. Rose need not have worried: her father was currently arguing with Uncle George and Aunt Ginny - something about an unfair advantage with the brooms. She sidled up to Al and whispered the story of Scorpius' disastrous Christmas into his ear. His green eyes grew dark, and his mouth thinned. She pulled him off under the trees as Uncle Harry and Uncle Charlie joined in the fight.

"His grandfather is awful and no one should have to spend their vacation in their room and he's our best friend so I want to invite him to stay with us for the rest of the holidays," she said in a rush as soon as they relatively out of earshot.

"I was going to suggest the same thing, actually. I'm surprised Miss Let's-Be-Rational is on the same page. Only… are you sure? Your dad doesn't even know, not to mention Nana and Grandpa Weasley."

"Don't go soft on me now, Mr. Idealistic. You're the reason I sat with Scorpius on the Hogwarts Express in the first place. I'm not pretending it won't be difficult, but… he's our friend."

Al nodded. "Alright, but I think it would be best if he stayed with me. Both my parents already know, and your dad won't have to see him until New Years at our house."

Rose agreed, and the pair left the shelter of the trees just as the other twelve Quidditch players kicked off into the air.

 

* * *

 

 

"Dad?" said Rose as she entered the kitchen the next morning. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course Rosie," he said, pulling out the chair next to him at the breakfast table as he read the Daily Prophet. Apparently it was a slow news day, because Celestina Warbeck had made the front page again, her ten-inch high figure blowing kisses to a swooning audience as she announced her final tour.

"So Albus is hoping to ask one of our Hogwarts friends to spend the rest of the holidays with him, as long as Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry agree."

Ron snorted as he took a sip from his orange juice. "You're asking permission to stay with your aunt and uncle? You've never felt the need to ask before. As long as we know where you are and Harry and Ginny don't mind, stay as long as you'd like."

"Well, that's not quite what I was getting at..."

Her father looked at her and put down the paper. "Rosie, after nineteen years with your mother and eleven years with you, I can tell when you're nervous and know you'll do anything to avoid saying something directly. But bloody hell sweetheart, you've been skirting around whatever it is since you got home for the holidays. Just come out and say it already."

Rose was stunned. Never before had her father shown this much insight. "You came to this on your own, Dad?"

"Well, I may have had a bit of help from your mother. She hinted you had something you wanted to tell me, not to push you, and to hear you out. So I'm listening."

"Well… I'm afraid you might not approve of my going to the Potters' when you find out who the friend is… or let me return to Hogwarts, for that matter."

Ron was silent for a moment. "You've gone and befriended a pureblood, haven't you?"

Rose slid down in her chair, attempting to hide as she uttered the name she feared would send her father into a fit of rage: "Scorpius Malfoy." After a few seconds of listening to him splutter incoherently, she dared to sit up enough to see his face. As she'd feared, it was almost as red as his hair, an Exploding Snap card ready to burst. She ducked back under the table just as he burst. "A SCHOOL FULL OF WIZARDS AND YOU HAD TO GET CHUMMY WITH THAT GIT'S SON?!"

He pushed back from the table, knocking the chair over in the process, and stormed out of the kitchen.

Once all the excitement had passed, Rose and Al pooled their knowledge to piece together the story. It seemed that Ron, after receiving the horrifying news from his daughter, had sent an owl to the Potters. James was the first one to find the letter. He then showed it to Teddy, begging for his older cousin to cast a spell in order to read its contents without breaking the seal. Teddy did just that, chuckling all the while, and handed it over to Ginny without telling James what it said; he did inform Albus, but only to warn him since he was directly involved (and also to get under James' skin). After Ginny read the letter, angry at her brother's stupidity, she sent it to her husband accompanied by a note of her own. Harry, who had gone to the Auror Office to deal with a case on what should have been a holiday, then walked down the hall to see Hermione; she also had far too much work to take the day off, and when first handed the parchment told her friend she had absolutely no time to read it. "Trust me, you'll want to see this," he replied (or something to that effect) before leaving. Hermione, curiosity getting the best of her, pushed her work aside and read her husband's words in appalled fascination. She returned home almost immediately, her mouth set in a thin line, and proceeded to argue with Ron for two hours while Rose and Hugo listened in from upstairs. After placing several choice quotes such as "emotional range of a teaspoon" and "insensitive wart" in mental storage for the future, Hermione wrote Al saying that it had all been settled, he'd best write Scorpius immediately to invite him, and even if he declined they'd just have to kidnap him because otherwise it would probably cause another row. Rose then made her mother a cup of her favorite tea before packing for the Potters'.

The final week of the Christmas holidays passed in a blissful blur. Harry and Ginny steadily warmed up to Scorpius, eventually extending to him an open invitation to return; even James had no quarrel with the arrangement, once he'd discovered Scorpius was a talented flier and never tired of playing Quidditch with him. Though Ron grumbled his way through New Years Eve, a small affair consisting of his wife and children as well as the Potters, he'd realized he was outnumbered and had no concrete complaints against the boy to defend himself. Rose was proud of her father for grudgingly accepting her new friend, and she made sure to shower him with hugs and quick pecks on the cheek as a reward. She couldn't remember having a better holiday, and Scorpius seemed to agree; though his face had been pale and wary at the beginning of his stay, by the end he seemed as relaxed as was possible while still keeping up his impeccable manners. The trio was sad to see it end, although true to their House they were excited for classes to resume.


	4. Very Last First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of first year.
> 
> Chapter title is the title of a book by Jan Andrews

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to whoever actually reads author's notes! 
> 
> This is the last chapter of the trio's first year. Honestly I was hoping that this would get more of a response on A03, as it's decently popular on FFn and I've been getting requests to copy it over for a while now. I suspect many people who have seen this have decided they don't care about my fine-tuning and are just going over to FFn and catch up to where I am there, however, as my views there have been growing over the past few days without cause. And that's good! As I said, this is only an exercise in improving spelling, grammar, and minor discontinuities, though I was considering adding some new content as the years progressed if I felt I missed anything the first time around. I'm just happy that more people are reading my work :) 
> 
> That being said, if this continues to get a less-than-stellar response over the next few chapters, I'll probably put this transfer project on the backburner and focus on a oneshot in another fandom I've been contemplating.
> 
> That is NOT to say I won't update THR on FFn. Because I 100% will and have been writing new content even as I'm posting the old chapters here. Sometimes I just need a breather from creating new things for THR and like to be productive in other ways.
> 
> Anyway, I'll hit you all with a new update in the next few days, and I'll see where to go from there depending on the response. Until then, fair readers, farewell.

**First Year**

_ Part Four _

 

Rose headed down to the Quidditch pitch, arm in arm with Albus and Scorpius, wearing a blue scarf around her neck and a smile on her face. It was the day of the Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin game, and in usual Hogwarts fashion, three of the four houses sincerely hoped that Ravenclaw would come out in the lead. Gryffindor had scraped a victory in their match against Slytherin in November, and Ravenclaw had handily defeated the Hufflepuff team, which was comprised mostly of third and fourth years. Although it would be best for their standings for the cup if Slytherin came out on top today, most Gryffindors couldn't seem to muster enough support for the green-robed team to wish for that outcome. It came to pass, therefore, that the rest of the Weasley-Potter clan decided to sit with the trio on the Ravenclaw side of the stadium rather than with their fellow Gryffindors.   
  
Dominique and Louis, a 4th year Gryffindor Chaser and their 3rd year reserve Keeper respectively, had their strawberry blonde heads bent together to discuss the current state of the team rankings as they sat with their family in the stands. Fred, pleased to have been made a reserve Beater as only a second year, chimed in eagerly, as did James. Though James played Quidditch often with his cousins and siblings (and occasionally parents, when they had time to spare, he had not made the Gryffindor team due to his slight deficit of natural talent compared to others in his House. Meanwhile, Molly quietly consulted Victoire about what sounded like boy issues; Rose wondered at the identity of the party in question, but doubted her shy cousin (though she was not as timid as her younger sister) would ever act on the feelings. She had little time to speculate, however, as she was involved in intense conversation with Scorpius and Al concerning their Defense Against the Dark Arts homework.   
  
"Honestly, Professor Chang is being so vague. Only a foot? On Bowtruckles? It's like asking us to summarize the War in five words or less."   
  
"My dad killed Lord Voldemort," said Albus, smirking and counting the words on his fingers as he spoke them.   
  
Rose rolled her eyes and turned to Scorpius, who she could see was trying to suppress a smile; it was the genuine, childish smile she had come to associate with the side of him most people didn't try to get to know. "Scorpius, you're top of that class, you know what she likes. What do you think needs to be included to get an 'Outstanding'?"   
  
Scorpius laughed. "See, this is why you're better at Potions, Rose: everything always has to have a formula with you. Can't it be enough to write a good essay?"   
  
"Yes, but part of having a good essay is knowing what to write."   
  
"Well it's good you know so much about Bowtruckles then. Weren't you just complaining a moment ago that you wouldn't have enough space for it all?"   
  
"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, that's not what I meant and you know it."   
  
Rose would have continued to chastise her friend, and he would have teased her in return, if not for the eruption of cheers around them signaling the appearance of the players. "And here come the teams!" shouted Hufflepuff Brantley Jordan above the din of the stadium, his voice amplified by a magical megaphone. He sat in the commentator's box with Professor Longbottom, whose presence was made necessary by the seventh year's propensity to deliver biased commentary like his father before him. 

"Captains Elizabeth Chambers of Ravenclaw and Caius Flint of Slytherin will now shake hands." The small Ravenclaw Seeker was half the size of the monstrous Slytherin Beater, who greatly resembled his father both in size and attitude - more so than his twin brother, Thomas, who had a slimmer build more suited to his position as Seeker. Elizabeth’s hand completely disappeared when grasped firmly by his, and she responded to his snaggle-toothed grin with a confident one of her own. When they had returned to their respective sides of the pitch, the whistle was blown, the balls were released, and both teams kicked off into the air.   
  
The air suddenly became a whirling mess of green and blue, creating patterns in the sky that were decoded and relayed to those spectators who had less practice watching the sport by Jordan's commentary. "Isabella Spinnet of Ravenclaw has the Quaffle, passes to Ettington, who passes back to Spinnet, tricky pass to Kerridge, oh and now Slytherin's Justine Lazenby has intercepted the Quaffle with help from Beaters Flint and Pucey, with a bit of a dirty move if I do say so myself-" he was cut off by Professor Longbottom, who could not be heard but whose face was visibly stern. Brantley rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, Slytherin is still in possession of the Quaffle, Farley goes for the goal - oh, and a nice save by Ravenclaw Keeper Brian Randall. Ravenclaw now again in possession, a Bludger heads toward Ettington but is taken out by Ravenclaw Beater Alexander Inglebee, passes to Spinnet, passes to Kerridge, who gets behind Keeper Edmund Morcott, and - yes, Ravenclaw is first on the board with a ten points!"   
  
Ravenclaw continued to score, racking up a forty-point lead to the bitter disappointment of the green section of the stadium. Rose, Albus and Scorpius were enthralled; each loved Quidditch, and they intended to try out for the team next year together. Though Rose didn't think she was good enough to earn a spot as Chaser as only a second year, Scorpius was excellent at playing both Keeper and Beater (though he would need to build up a bit more muscle to play the latter at a Hogwarts level), and Albus had a real chance of replacing seventh year Elizabeth Chambers as Seeker. 

Scorpius seemed to read her thoughts, and after Ravenclaw had scored another goal he turned to ask, shouting to make himself heard over the cheers around them, "Do you think that will be us next year?" Rose shrugged. "Hopefully." Suddenly, she grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye that her friend rarely saw. "But by seventh year, we'll be the most feared trio on the Quidditch pitch. We'll be the obvious favorites for the team, one of us will be Captain," and here she moved closer to speak in his ear so that her family couldn't hear, "and we'll finally take the Cup away from these bloody Gryffindors."

  
Scorpius smiled, wanting nothing more than to skip to seventh year: Captain of the Quidditch team, Head Boy, and with his two best friends by his side. His family would have finally accepted him by then, not just resigned to his being a Ravenclaw but actually proud of him and his accomplishments. So, too, would the rest of Rose's family. He was beginning to hope that her cousins at Hogwarts had grown to like him, an outcome made more likely by their proximity and occasional kind smiles toward him at the game today. Her father… well, he had five and a half years to prove him wrong. And by seventh year, everything would be perfect.   
  
He wanted to jump forward in time, and yet he knew it was better that he couldn't. Some things are important enough to wait for, made all the sweeter by the trials and anticipation and heartache of the journey taken to get there. Indeed, he knew it wouldn't be easy, that there would be obstacles and people standing in his path every step of the way. But thorns have roses, he thought, and some things are worth fighting through briars for.   
  
And as Thomas Flint caught the Snitch, winning Slytherin the match and eliciting a wild frenzy of cheers from the other side of the Quidditch pitch, Scorpius didn't let his smile slip.

 

* * *

  
  
The rest of the school year came in flashes, some periods of which passed in an instant and others seemed to last forever. Fred was delighted (though with tact, rarely exhibited by him, had not shown it) when Beater Lester Rochester fell off his broom and broke his arm the day before the final match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, allowing him to play on the team as they won the Quidditch Cup. Gryffindor won the House Cup as well, with Slytherin in a close second and Ravenclaw in third.   
  
Rose continued to do well in Potions, and after studying obsessively out of spite for Delilah Macnair and the pain her intelligence had caused Scorpius, beat her out in History of Magic; this broke the seven-way tie and earned her the place as head of their year. Albus and Scorpius were content to keep their own spots on top in Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts respectively and earned high marks in the rest of their subjects, though their Ravenclaw natures would push them to do better next September.   
  
James and Fred continued to cause mischief around the castle, earning themselves several detentions and even a trip to the Headmaster's office. Though Harry was less than pleased at his son's decision to follow in the footsteps of his namesake, George was happy that Fred had come to embrace the personality of his own (though did not express this fatherly pride around Angelina, who was less than satisfied by her son's reputation).   
  
Victoire graduated from Hogwarts that year, and caused quite an uproar amongst the family when she announced that she planned on finding a place of her own with Teddy, as they were not yet engaged (though everyone was hardly surprised). Finally, after many muttered French curses about young people and the fall of modesty and propriety, Fleur consented on the condition that they must remain close to Shell Cottage and consent to surprise parental inspections. Bill was merely proud that his daughter would have a promising career in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, where she was to begin working immediately.   
  
Rose eventually introduced Al and Scorpius to Andy Sterling, whom she continued to spend a considerable amount of time with as well. Indeed, she had made the girl promise to visit her over the summer and vowed to likewise do the same; she was sure her family, especially her grandfather, would be thrilled that she had become close with a Muggleborn and expected a barrage of questions from that quarter about cell phones and other modern Muggle appliances that her mother had not kept up to date on. Privately, she asked Hermione to use this opportunity to tell her Weasley grandparents about her friendship with Scorpius, since no one had dared yet inform them despite his visit to the Potters' over the winter holidays. As Rose predicted, the news was taken better when mentioned after her plans to spend a week in Muggle London, though she wasn't sure this would last when they discovered Scorpius had also been invited to spend time with his friends over the break.   
  
As they disembarked from the Hogwarts Express at Kings Cross, the trio this time made no attempt to separate themselves from one another in the crowd. They could see they were drawing the eyes of many parents, whose children had apparently not kept them abreast of the recent wizard generation's gossip. The three continued to stand in a knot on Platform 9 ¾, trunks beside them, Circe and Pear screeching while Orion kept his stately air and tucked his beak into his feathers. 

Scorpius' parents arrived first, at first standing a bit to the side before his mother squared her shoulders and strode up to her son so she could be introduced. Draco remained aloof for a few more minutes as Astoria shook hands with Rose and Albus, until many pointed glances from his wife told him that she would punish him dearly if he continued to be impolite. Rose liked her. Harry and Ginny soon appeared, and though the situation quickly became awkward, it never escalated into impropriety. Hermione eventually joined their tense group, prompting a bit of conversation from the adults before they lapsed back into silence. Rose wondered whether her father hadn't accompanied her mother to pick her up, or if he was merely hiding so as not to be forced to shake hands with the Malfoys, but this was the least pressing item on her mind at the moment. 

The three friends had discovered countless vital things to say to one another that had felt unimportant or had not occurred to them during the journey back from Hogwarts. The realization had hit that they were to be separated for the longest amount of time since they'd met, even longer than the first portion of the Christmas holidays that had felt like an eternity. Finally, however, they reluctantly realized they could not continue to stand at Kings Cross until September 1st, and with one final round of hugs that seemed to take their parents a bit off guard, they parted and rejoined their families for what they felt would be the longest summer of their lives.


	5. “We had more light to read by”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title quote from ‘The Glass Castle’ by Jeannette Walls

 

**Second Year**

_Part One_

 

Of course, summer never lasts as long as we think it will, even when one is actively wishing for it to be over. Andy began her visit in the beginning of July, during which time she was frequently invited to The Burrow. Just as Rose had expected, Grandpa Weasley questioned the poor girl endlessly about things like the Internet and 3D movies, and was reduced to the pure exhilaration of a child when she gave him her iPhone to examine (though she wouldn't let him take it apart as he seemed to hope). Eventually, she left with an open invitation to stay at either house whenever she liked in the future; the entire family seemed to like her, and even Ron had slipped in a pointed comment wishing all of his daughter's friends could be like her when Hermione was out of earshot.

As according to plan, Rose returned the visit a month later later, though it was only for a week and Andy tried to keep them out of the house as much as possible. It was large, beautiful home in a wealthy neighborhood, far nicer than Rose had expected, and yet she felt ill at ease during the entirety of her stay. She'd been warned in advance by her secretive companion that their family life wasn't the best, and although the revelation had only increased Rose's desire to stay with Andy so that she could hopefully alleviate some of the stress of being home, it seemed her friend didn't want her to know the full extent of the problems. Though her family was on their best behavior during her visit, she sensed rather than saw the effort necessary to keep up the image, and once or twice the father's composure slipped as he turned to snap at Andrea or her mother.

Instead of remaining at the house, therefore, they toured Muggle London and spent a good deal of time at the dojo where Andy had started learning Mixed Martial Arts at a young age. Though Rose was hardly a violent person, she quickly came to realize the wisdom in learning to defend herself in case she was ever left without a wand, and strived to master the basic grabs and locks her friend patiently taught her.

Rose was left wondering why the girl's fellow Gryffindors hadn't been informed of her hidden talent, knowing it would make the rather outcast girl extremely popular. When asked the question directly, Andy responded: "I'm alone because I choose to be; I don't trust people easily, and what's the point of spending time with someone if you can't trust them enough to tell them what you're thinking? I get along well enough with the rest of our year. The fact that I'll defend just about anyone if they need protecting probably doesn't hurt on that front. I've lost track of the number of times I've had to jinx those older Slytherin bullies when they decided to picked on another first year."

Rose paused for a moment, thoughtful. "If you try to be alone, why did you want to be my partner in class last year? Or start a conversation, for that matter?"

Andrea shrugged. "You have an honest face. You take the time to get to know people, otherwise you wouldn't be close with Malfoy. And I could tell you were nervous about something- he was having a rough day, wasn't he?"

Rose nodded and let the conversation drop.

The rest of her time with Andy passed quickly, and all too soon she was heading back to her own home (recently dubbed The Nest by her mother, though the name hadn't really caught on) near Ottery St Catchpole, The Burrow and the Potters'. She spent her days in the warm sun playing Quidditch with her family, reading ahead for the coming school year, and counting down the weeks on her calendar.

Finally, the day she'd been waiting for arrived in the middle of August, when Scorpius was set to begin his stay at the Potters'. Just like last time, he arrived via Floo, a mode of transportation safe enough for the twelve year-old to make the quick journey on his own; though they had been civil upon encountering the Potters at the end of the school year, it seemed the thought of being offered a cup of tea and idle chatter in the home of Ginny Potter nee Weasley and The Boy Who Lived was still too much for the Malfoys. Rose stayed with her aunt and uncle, though her parents and brother surprisingly came to dinner most nights. Miracle of miracles, her father even contributed to several conversations at the table in which Scorpius was directly participating; despite the fact that these talks revolved exclusively around Quidditch and Ron refused to speak to the blonde-haired boy directly, she still felt that progress was being made.

The trio was ecstatic they wouldn't be separated until the winter holidays- Scorpius would remain with them until the first of September and accompany them to Kings Cross. Though they passed their days at the Potters' in much the same manner as they had in their own homes, filling them with broomsticks and books, it was infinitely more satisfying to do them together rather than apart. Scorpius didn't have to worry about avoiding Lucius, who would attempt to insult him whenever he was in earshot, and was excited to be with others his age besides Delilah Macnair and others he didn't quite see eye to eye with - the elder Mr. Malfoy had recently insisted on inviting Slytherins to dinners at the Manor in the hopes they would rub off on his grandson. Albus, the last one in their group to turn twelve, spent his August 25th birthday in a state of bliss as they indulged in heaping plates of Weasley secret recipe birthday cake and took turns riding his new Firebolt Supreme (broomstick of choice for the Bulgarian National Quidditch team in the 2014 Quidditch World Cup). Rose was simply content to not have to overthink **everything** for a change.

 

* * *

 

 

Dominique, Louis, Molly, James, Fred, Albus, Rose, Scorpius, Lucy and Roxanne all visited Diagon Alley to get their new books and supplies a week before the start of term, and were joined by the younger Lily and Hugo even though another year would pass before they would be old enough to attend school. The large group was ostensibly being chaperoned by George and Ron, but as business picked up at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes due to an influx of Hogwarts students, they were soon left to their own devices and Teddy's supervision. At first, all behaved remarkably well as older family members aided Lucy and Roxanne in purchasing everything on their first-year checklist aside from their wands - they had promised to wait to visit Ollivanders until at least one of their parents could get off work. Once everyone in the party had gotten the necessary books and potions ingredients, the two eleven year-olds were herded to Madame Malkin's (now owned and operated by her daughter, who was married but chose to keep her maiden name), Potage's Cauldron Shop, Scribbulus Writing Instruments, Amanuensis Quills, and various other establishments. Since neither girl was particularly fond of owls, Lucy picked out a purple Pygmy Puff and called it Ruffles, and Roxanne found a black cat she dubbed Persephone.

With all the necessary shopping behind them, however, the group quickly grew rambunctious. Each had their own favorite shops in Diagon Alley, and all were too impatient to wait for the others to follow them. Soon, they split into groups of twos and threes, leaving their unperturbed chaperone at an outside table at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Red-haired mayhem soon followed; even Teddy, who'd inherited his mother's Metamorphagus abilities, had turned his locks ginger for the occasion. Lily, Hugo, and Louis raced to Sugarplum's Sweets Shop; James, Fred and Roxanne all but trampled those standing between them and Quality Quidditch Supplies; Dominique and Molly headed straight to Madam Primpernelle's Beautifying Potions; and the Ravenclaw trio made a beeline for Whizz Hard Books. Only timid Lucy, truly her father's child when it came to following the rules, chose to stay with Teddy, who looked on at the madness his family wrought without a care in the world.

The scene Percy caused when he was finally able to leave his desk at the Department of Magical Transportation to accompany Lucy in getting her first wand was stuff of legend, sure to be passed down in Weasley family stories for generations to come. Though Rose, Scorpius, and Albus had been mostly behaving themselves as they eagerly browsed countless rows of books, occasionally becoming too excited about a title and shouting across the store before remembering where they were, the rest of their family had created considerably more chaos. Several displays in the sweets shop had been accidentally upended, Molly had spilled a hair-dye potion on her cousin's head and turned it a vivid shade of blue, and several brooms had somehow been set loose without riders to terrorize the customers of Quality Quidditch Supplies.

Percy, of course, ensured that they were clearly and loudly informed in front of all Diagon Alley's patrons that members of their family had never caused such embarrassment. Even Fred and George, he said, had never created such a disgraceful situation. Though only Molly and Lucy were his to discipline, the latter of whom looked as if she desperately wanted to borrow her uncle's Invisibility Cloak, he would ensure their parents knew what had happened here and expected them all to be severely punished. Even Teddy had the good sense to look abashed, though whenever Percy's back was turned he looked dangerously close to laughing aloud. With that, he dragged them all off to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, muttering phrases such as "why do they have to take after the twins" and "bloody joke shop" all the while. He left them in the care of Ron and George, who he also gave a piece of his mind to, before leaving to take Lucy to Ollivander's. Though Ron and George seemed considerably less concerned at their children's actions, for the good of all they sent the rest of the party home (except Roxanne, who like her cousin had yet to purchase a wand).

"I'm sorry we had to leave so soon," Rose apologized to Scorpius; with his impeccable manners, she thought he must be appalled at her family's actions. Though she usually tolerated if not enjoyed the madness of her family, she abhorred public humiliation, and to have one of her closest outside friend witness it… "My family…"

"No need to apologize." And sure enough, his face broke into his usual genuine, radiant smile.

"But with Uncle Percy-"

Scorpius snorted. "With all that yelling about 'disgracing the family', I imagine he'd get along splendidly with my grandfather."

The trio was not punished for their very small part in the day's events, though Hugo and Lily were given extra chores and James was grounded for the rest of the week. There was much grumbling, of course, but their sentences were made considerably more bearable by the date: the Hogwarts Express left that Sunday, and once James was gone Lily and Hugo were released from their duties, as both sets of parents agreed it made little sense for their penance to last longer than that of the least innocent culprit.

 

* * *

 

When they arrived at Platform 9 ¾, Scorpius was surprised to see that his parents had come to meet him. His mother hugged him fiercely and kissed his cheek, and his father reached down to ruffle his hair. "We couldn't bear the thought of not seeing you off." Though he was far from complaining, the young Malfoy was struck by how odd it was for his parents to show him quite this much affection, and he stepped back for a moment to examine their faces. Indeed, his mother's eyes looked mistier than normal, her bones slightly more prominent, and the corner of his father's mouth was drawn even more tightly than he was accustomed to seeing.

"Something's wrong," he accused. "Something happened."

Astoria's face fell, but she didn't speak a word.

After a few moments of silence, Draco embraced his wife with one arm and patted his son's head again with the other. His voice was quiet, devoid of its usual confident ring. "It'll be alright. We'll discuss things when you return for the holidays."

"But-"

"It will only distract you from your studies, Scorpius," his father said firmly, though still with that same curious tone. "There's nothing to be done at the moment. Hopefully things will clear up by Christmas… we'll inform you if things… progress, I promise."

Astoria seemed nearly close to tears as she bent down to embrace her son once more. "I love you so much, Scorpius," she whispered in his ear, rendering him speechless. And with that, they were gone.


	6. Great Expectations

**Second Year**

_Part Two_

 

Wearily, Rose made her way back to the compartment toward the rear of the Hogwarts Express that she'd claimed with Albus. "Where on Earth have you been?" he asked, dark head bent over a copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ he'd borrowed from Hermione, eyes not leaving the page as she slid the door open and entered. When she didn't respond after a few moments, though, he forced his gaze upwards. Unlike Andy Sterling, who prided herself on her ability to read people, Albus was not particularly perceptive when it came to most; he and Rose had grown up together, however, which allowed him to understand her easily, and now she made no attempt to conceal her concern. The boy's eyes narrowed and seemed to come to himself, glancing around the compartment, of which they were the only occupants. "Has he gone missing, then?"

"I've been up and down the train twice, with no sign of him."

As he nearly always was, Albus was optimistic, and approached the situation in true Ravenclaw fashion. "I'm sure he's fine, Rose. Look, we saw him get on the train, so he can't have been left behind at Kings Cross. He's probably just in the loo."

"Well, seeing as I'm a girl, I couldn't exactly check there now could I?" she snapped; for once, logic couldn't console her. After realizing her reaction was uncalled for, that her cousin was just trying to help, she bit her lip. "I'm sorry, there was no need for that. I'm just worried."

"Well, seeing as I'm **not** a girl, I can go check." He snorted. "And when we have the most bloody awkward conversation about why I'm stalking him in the loo, I'll make sure to mention it was your idea."

Rose sat down next to the window, briefly considering picking up her mother's book and beginning where Albus had left off, but she uncharacteristically didn't think reading could take her mind off her troubles. Instead, she stared out at the countryside on the other side of the glass as it sped past.

Albus was gone much longer than she'd anticipated. Though she had no real way of judging how much time had passed, and each moment was agonizingly long, the sky had grown several shades darker before she saw his figure in the corridor. Upon observing that a boy with a head of white-blonde hair accompanied him, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. That relief was short-lived, however. When the boys entered the compartment, all she could focus on was Malfoy's face: paler than normal, eyes red. Had he been… crying?

Without a word, Albus sat across from her and Scorpius beside her. Hesitantly, she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder; though she was a physically affectionate person and Scorpius had grown more accustomed to hugs over the past year, he hadn't been raised that way as Rose had and when upset he tended to appreciate having his own space. Why else would he have hidden in the loo rather than seeking out his friends, after all? Still, she was complete rubbish at comforting people and didn't know what else to do besides pat him consolingly. Much to her surprise, he leaned into her, allowing her to wrap her arms around him and tuck his head under her chin.

The pair remained that way for a while as Albus pretended to read his book but never turned the page.

 

* * *

 

Rose didn't pay attention to most of the Sorting Ceremony; she was too busy glancing at Scorpius from the corner of her eye, occasionally giving him awkward one-armed half hugs or murmuring soothing bits of nonsense such as "Everything will be fine," " It can't be that bad," and "All will turn out for the best." She received no answer and honestly hadn't expected one. After he'd told them what had happened on the Platform he'd fallen into an impenetrable silence. She really was horrible at consoling people; if he hadn't been so worried himself, Albus would probably be laughing at her right now.

Rose barely paid attention as the first years lined up, heard the Hat sing but paid no attention to its words, and was vaguely aware of what place they were at in the alphabet as the newcomers were divided into Houses one by one. Or at least, she thought she was. Suddenly she felt an elbow in her side and turned to glare at Albus, but he merely pointed toward the front of the Great Hall. It was Lucy's turn. Rose was struck by just how small her cousin was for an eleven year old as she sat on the stool and had the Sorting Hat placed on her head. It fell over her eyes, and she pushed it back on her forehead hesitantly. She was visibly shaking, face pale, eyes wide.

She saw several students exchange uneasy glances as they began to realize that this girl was too timid for Gryffindor and began to suspect there would be a repeat family performance in defying societal expectation. They were not disappointed. After a few seconds, the hat called out a loud "HUFFLEPUFF." Lucy jumped off the stool with record speed, taking a few quick steps toward the thundering applause of the yellow-and-black table before realizing she was still wearing the Sorting Hat.

Lucy was the first Weasley to become a badger. Frankly, Rose wasn't surprised, and knew her younger cousin would do well there. Lucy was certainly no stranger to friendship and hard work, as she was often the peacemaker of their group and was used to having to go the extra mile in order to receive any positive attention. Away from the rest of their family, Lucy would have room to become herself, to grow more independent and self-confident than she had allowed herself to become. The ranks of the Weasley-Potters had now spread to three of the four houses, with the only exception being-

"SLYTHERIN."

Rose's eyes flew to the front of the Great Hall, where Roxanne had taken Lucy's place on the stool, hat placed atop her dark red curls. There was a moment of stunned silence before a round of thunderous, raucous applause broke out from the Slytherin table.

She heard Scorpius say, so quietly she almost missed it, "Well, I see that all of us will be having family problems now."

 

* * *

 

As evidenced by his reaction to his grandmother's letter the previous year, Scorpius was prone to distraction and had a difficult time concentrating when first delivered upsetting news. While the situation had been hard on him, however, his grandfather had never been a beloved figure in his young life, and news of Lucius's rejection had been immediately lessened by the support of the rest of the family. After managing to escape to the Potters' for the ends of the winter and summer holidays, he had been extended an invitation to visit whenever he desired, for by now Ginny and Harry had gotten to know the boy beyond his seemingly proud exterior and recognized he had a good heart and was often in need of a refuge from the stress of his family. Their generosity had considerably lessened that particular burden.

Now that he had a safe haven to which he could flee, where his family not dare follow, he was free to look on his grandfather's continued efforts to change him with bemusement rather than anxiety. Indeed, the elder Mr. Malfoy's reaction to the news that his grandson had stayed in the household of The Boy Who Lived and his blood-traitor wife not once but twice had been quite priceless, complete with more yelling, more broken china, and knives that had become magically embedded in various walls and pieces of furniture - efforts to remove them had thus far proved fruitless.

This situation was rather different, though Rose observed that Scorpius adhered to the expected pattern for the first few days. Thankfully, the first classes were generally an introduction of sorts and involved the use of less magic; it was therefore considerably easier for Albus and Rose to hide their friend's despondency from professors and classmates alike. They continued the tradition of visiting Hagrid for tea on Fridays, and though Scorpius was not as enthusiastic about the visit as he had been a week ago, the half-giant and his very large, now fully grown boarhound Saber were thrilled to see the trio. Hagrid was able to see that Scorpius was upset, and with some gentle prodding the youngest Malfoy relayed his concerns. Since the gamekeeper knew nothing about the situation, he resorted to using the same platitudes Rose had employed, to the same paucity of results.

House Quidditch tryouts took place the following afternoon. Though convincing Scorpius to attend took much exertion, in the end their efforts were well rewarded. Rose was correct in her assumption that she was inadequate to take the single Chaser's spot vacated by the recent Hogwarts graduate Maria Ettington, which was instead filled by fifth year Rachel Cornwall; she'd managed to secure the now vacant spot left in the reserve team, however, and hoped to advance to the official team after a year or two of training. She had similar aspirations for Scorpius, as he'd been offered the Keeper position on the reserve team and the current Keeper was a 7th year, Brian Randall. And Albus, though not the youngest Seeker in recent Hogwarts memory, was still sure to turn heads and cause the spread of all kinds of rumors after their first match against Hufflepuff. For once, it seemed that he was becoming what people expected of Harry Potter's son.

Now, however, Rose was offered a glimpse of a previously undiscovered facet of her friend's coping mechanisms. Though Scorpius was certainly worried for his family, it seemed that Draco knew his son better than Rose had first given him credit for. Without something concrete to fret over, no facts or evidence of his family's troubles to turn endlessly in his mind, during the next week of classes Scorpius instead threw himself into his studies, channeling his anxious impulses into an obsession with any and all subjects. To an outsider, it would appear that nothing was wrong with the young boy: his grades improved (though there hadn't been much room for improvement in the first place) and Rose and Albus hurried to catch up lest they be left behind completely; he correctly answered all questions asked of him in class, rose his hand frequently, and helped any student who seemed not to be grasping the material; he shone in Quidditch practices, giving his all during every session, rarely allowing any goals, and often flying his broom during what little free time he left himself.

But because Albus and Rose knew their friend well enough to see past the veneer of wellbeing, only they seemed to notice that Scorpius merely pretended to eat normally, pushing food around his plate without his usual ravenous appetite. No one else saw that his sleeping patterns had changed, staying up well into the night doing extra reading and rising far earlier in the morning than he had previously. Albus even thought he heard his friend wake several times in the middle of the night, sit up with a start, then settle back down under the covers but without his breathing relaxing into the gentle rhythms of sleep. Though the cousins were justly alarmed, after conferring with one another they decided to pick and choose their battles. They pushed Scorpius to eat on days which he hadn't and sleep after pulling several all-nighters, but they stayed silent on many occasions and kept their concern to themselves for fear of bushing the boy too far and making matters worse or losing their influence.

This frantic pattern lasted one month and twelve days, until mid-October. Rose had half-expected a dramatic, emotional crash precipitated by a bad score on a test or a failed save at a Quidditch goal, complete with tears and an acknowledgement made aloud that he was not doing as well as he pretended. But here, Rose's prediction was defied. Scorpius rebounded on his own, slowly, but thankfully without the stressful spectacle of hitting rock bottom. By the end of the month, he was almost the same boy they'd spent the end of the summer holidays with, enjoying the incredible Halloween feast and laughing aloud at the antics of James, Fred, and Roxanne. Though Rose couldn't remember the last time she'd seen his genuine, brilliant smile, she would take his laughter and consider it a major improvement. She didn't dwell on her apprehension that when Scorpius really had something to worry over, things could end up far worse.

 

* * *

 

Though Rose and Albus were more concerned with their friend than their senseless family drama, they were unable to keep themselves out of the clash following Roxanne's sorting. Part of the problem was that no one had seen it coming. Yes, Roxanne could be devious, stubborn, ambitious, and troublesome, but no more so than her older brother Fred and cousin James. Uncle George and Aunt Angelina certainly hadn't expected it, though after an initial adverse reaction (of which Hugo informed her in a long, detailed letter) they handled the situation with grace and supported their daughter. She suspected her mother played a large role in helping them overcome their prejudice, though she had no proof.

Her father was another story. He and Uncle Percy were extremely upset by the news, and Percy even tried to go as far as to forbid his daughters to speak with their Slytherin cousin. Of course, this directive was immediately ignored by Molly and soon after by Lucy (whose sorting into Hufflepuff was viewed as a blessing in comparison); if anything, his order helped the girls and the rest of the family at Hogwarts to come to their senses and stand with Roxanne. Though Rose and Albus had never been over-fond of Slytherins, they knew what it was like not to be sorted into Gryffindor when everyone expected them to be, and this helped them to realize that Roxanne was still the same wild, spontaneous, strong, and fiercely loving girl they had grown up with. Rose wondered secretly if this new twist in the path would do anything to diminish her father's prejudices, and whether it would change his opinion of Scorpius. She thought not, but she could still hope, couldn't she?

Molly and Lucy sat Roxanne down in mid-September to tell her about their father's poor reaction. Frankly, though, the younger girl wasn't surprised. The Weasley family had come to realize over the years that Uncle Percy's first instinct in most situations was to be a prat. By now, they had learned not to take it personally, especially because the War had imparted a large change for the better. Once he had time to calm down and reflect, Percy would apologize if he found his actions were unacceptable rather than hiding under a layer of pride. 

Rather than cause a fuss, therefore, Roxanne chose not to confront her Uncle until she saw him for the holidays, instead biding her time by planning what actions would best benefit her in every possible circumstance. Rose, whom she consulted, thought this was a wise decision, and helped her cousin plot reasonable reactions to potential scenarios. The young Ravenclaw only hoped, for her Uncle's sake, that he recognized his prejudiced error and apologized. Fred and James would certainly come to Roxanne's aid in an argument (although she was far from being a damsel in distress, more than capable of defending herself) and the rest of the cousins would likely follow suit. Meanwhile, she attempted to scale down some of her cousin's devious ideas; any pranks were immediately ruled out, though Roxanne's suggestion of using snakes did have a certain poetic justice. Finally, Rose believed she'd convinced her young cousin that the situation called for a mature and straightforward discussion, though given that Roxanne was George Weasley's daughter and Fred Weasley II's sister, it could not be said for certain.

Once Scorpius had become his usual self again, he was thoroughly amused with the proceedings. Coming from such a small and serious family, this kind of large-scale, hyperbolic drama entertained him. He had also not formed the best impression of Percy Weasley after the Diagon Alley episode, and secretly wished he could be there to witness their meeting at Christmas. Roxanne was wild, stubborn, and cunning, and he'd quickly grown attached to her in the same way one would befriend a close mate's younger sibling.

He shook his head at Rose in mock confusion. "So let me get this straight. Roxanne comes from a family held in high esteem, but because she was sorted into Slytherin, your dad isn't happy and Uncle Percy went round the bend. I come from a pureblood family distrusted by all Weasleys, and most of the rest of the wizarding world depending on your perspective, but I was sorted into Ravenclaw and your dad still hates me and Uncle Percy probably does as well. So, is it the blood or the house?"

"Well, not to defend the bigots in my family, but they went hand-in-hand for a long time, didn't they?" she replied.

"Not necessarily true. Plenty of purebloods weren't sorted into Slytherin," he replied, then began to count names off on his fingers, "James Potter, Sirius Black, Neville Longbottom, the Patils, Lavender Brown-"

"Alright, I see your point," Rose relented. "Holding yourself to high standards there, aren't you? Still, besides Sirius, their families hadn't exactly done anything to be ashamed of."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "Look, I never claimed my father was the best man alive, or even a decent one during his time at Hogwarts. Nor was he particularly kind to your family, which I know he regrets now. He was a git. But the part he was forced to play in the War was not his own idea, and he didn't exactly have the best role models growing up. His ideas of pureblood supremacy that grandfather ingrained in him as a child have all but vanished now, no small thanks to my mum, and he never let grandfather talk about any of that with me. He greatly respects your mum, after all. People can change, albeit in small increments. At least he doesn't define himself by his blood purity and last name anymore, which I'd say is certainly a step in the right direction." He sighed.

Rose had a lot to think about.

 

* * *

 

Roxanne earned several glares from her fellow Slytherins when she chose to sit on the Gryffindor side of the Quidditch pitch for the first match of the season. There was no way, she reasoned to Rose, that she wouldn't support her brother and the rest of their family on their House team just because she wore a scarf of emerald and silver rather than scarlet and gold. Indeed, Rose believed Roxanne was the loudest fan in the stadium as Fred walked out with fellow Beater Alastair Hopkins, along with Dominique, Louis, and the rest of the team. She also cheered for her own House, however, which earned her sour looks from the Gryffindors sitting around them. Roxanne, who in Rose's experience never seemed to care what others thought of her, appeared unfazed.

In a stroke of genius (or insanity), on the part of the Heads of House, James had been named Brantley Jordan's successor as Quidditch commentator. As the son of Ginny and Harry Potter, he lacked no knowledge of or enthusiasm for the game, but for whatever reason lacked some of the natural talent necessary to make his House team. This passion for Quidditch, combined with his loud and outgoing personality, had made him the obvious candidate. Once again, however, Professor Longbottom's presence was required in the announcer's box, as James was very opinionated and most likely would have no problems giving biased commentary. So far he had remained quite neutral, though as the match had not yet begun Albus pointed out that this was only a minor miracle and could not last. "Now, Captains Ganesh Wood and Caius Flint will shake hands." The two did so without incident, then returned to their teams on opposite sides of the pitch.

As his brother had predicted, James could not remain unbiased for long. Caius Flint nearly knocked Dominique off her broom in the first ten minutes with a well-directed Bludger (perfectly legal, since she was in possession of the Quaffle), and though Fred quickly defended her, afterwards all bets were off and Professor Longbottom was kept busy as he attempted to censor the eldest Potter. Comments such as "The Flint twins have played a technically clean game so far, that can't last long…" were not uncommon. Rose caught Roxanne rolling her eyes several times, and heard her mutter "prat" quite a few more. Rose was inclined to agree with her. Though the Slytherin team had been known to do whatever it took to win in the past, often resorting to dirty tactics, they'd had no penalties or violations last season and so far this match was the same. While Caius Flint and Daniel Pucey were rather ruthless Beaters, and Chasers Farley, Lazenby, and Bletchley never let up on the opposing team, Rose believed herself an impartial bystander and determined that the emerald team was merely being competitive and played according to the rulebook.

She caught herself several times admiring the flying skills of the Flint twins; it looked as if they had been born on a broomstick. Combined with Edmund Morcott's proficiency as Keeper, much improved from last year, and Louis' obvious nerves at playing Keeper in his first Hogwarts game, Slytherin soon gained a fifty-point lead. With each score, James' magically amplified voice grew less cheerful. Though Dominique and the other Chasers scored several times, Fred and Alistair simply couldn't defend them from each and every Bludger.

It quickly became clear that Gryffindor's only hope of victory lay with their Seeker and Captain, Ganesh Wood. Though the fifth year was talented, however, in the end he couldn't hold a candle to Thomas Flint, and the match ended when Flint caught the Snitch and won Slytherin the game. It seemed that Gryffindor would have a difficult time keeping possession of the Quidditch Cup this season, which they'd won for several years in a row.

 

* * *

 

A couple weeks later, Rose and Scorpius sat watching the Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff game from the locker room with the rest of the Reserve team. From her perspective at the mouth of the tunnel, Rose could see that the rest of the Weasley-Potters had seated themselves in the Hufflepuff section with Lucy, which she'd expected but was still happy to view. Rose knew her young cousin well, and was certain she'd been worried her Sorting would affect her relationship with the rest of the family. Lucy didn't have much time to sit with her sister and cousins, however, as the match didn't last long; Albus spotted and caught the Snitch within fifteen minutes of the whistle blow.

James made no attempt to hide his ecstasy at his brother's win, his cheers from the announcer's box nearly deafening the stadium's occupants. Just as he was about to sign off, however, he made a comment Rose found particularly amusing: "As much as I love my brother for who he is, wouldn't change him for the world, and I know he loves his House… for the sake of our Quidditch team I wish he was a Gryffindor."


	7. “A tight-fisted hand at the grindstone”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title quote from ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens

**Second Year**

_Part Three_

 

Christmas at the Burrow was the usual tumultuous affair filled with food, family, and fireworks. Three additional guests had been thrown into the usual holiday chaos: Rolf, Lorcan, and Lysander Scamander had accepted a warm invitation to join in the Weasley-Potter Christmas celebrations, since Luna was currently in Sweden with her father on an expedition to finally prove the existence of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. Though the Scamanders did not lead the most normal of lives and had often spent time at the Burrow for Weasley-Potter family events, even they were initially overwhelmed by the haze of red and green smoke left from earlier display of Exploding Whizz Poppers by Fred, James, and Roxanne (secretly gifted to them by Uncle George). Soon after, however, the twins joined Lily and Hugo by the fireplace to discuss their expectations of their first year at Hogwarts, which for all four would begin next September.

In the far corner, Harry, Kingsley, Ron, Hermione, Andromeda Tonks, and Rolf Scamander were involved in an intense discussion about the intersection of wizard and Muggle politics. As Rose and Albus took the sofa on the other side of the sitting room to discuss Scorpius (neither had heard from him since the start of the holidays), they were forced to duck as James, Fred, Roxanne, and Teddy performed a low dive on their latest Nimbus models in order to shower the room's occupants with Silver Sparkling Snakes.

"NO BROOMSTICKS IN THE HOUSE," Nana Weasley shouted, proving once again that she must have a third eye in the back of her head, and the four flew quickly toward the door that opened out to the orchard before they could be scolded more thoroughly.

During the meal, the troublemaking quartet sat several places down the table from Rose, Albus, Louis and Dominique as everyone helped themselves to third platefuls of Nana Weasley's delicious cooking. The long wooden table placed outside in the Burrow's magically warmed garden was filled nearly to capacity with both dishes and people, though there was one empty seat that continued to catch Rose's eye. Uncle Percy was over two hours late, and if he didn't appear soon there would not be a scrap left of the large feast for him. Aunt Audrey had arrived on time with Molly and Lucy, making a mumbled excuse on her husband's behalf about a Portkey incident involving several Muggles, but Rose wondered whether she was being entirely truthful. After all, Uncle Percy was Head of Department of Magical Transportation, and while Portkeys technically fell under his jurisdiction, dealing with such matters should be well below his pay grade.

Hugo, Lily, and the twins sat adjacent to them at the table; though the ten year-olds had not been informed as to the method of Sorting at Hogwarts, they obviously knew about the four Houses and questioned all who would listen about which they were likely to be placed in. Rose would swim naked in the Black Lake with the Giant Squid if Lily wasn't sorted into Gryffindor, and though she expected her brother to follow suit, she was less sure about where Lorcan and Lysander would end up. Though both boys outwardly seemed equally brash and bookish, she supposed that each must prefer one slightly to the other. Perhaps one if not both of them would be wearing blue and bronze before this time next year.

Her thoughts of House placement were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Uncle Percy when he Apparated into the garden. Rose noticed Uncle Harry jump from the corner of her eye, hand going to the wand in his pocket before he recognized there was no danger and relaxed; she marveled at his Auror (and Seeker) reflexes.

Most of her attention, however, was focused on Percy standing awkwardly in a circle of several rosebushes as twenty-nine pairs of eyes watched him. She glanced at the only empty space at the table and nearly laughed aloud when she realized Roxanne had placed herself next to it. The move was of a similar purpose and level of confrontation to those she'd recommended to her cousin, though this exact scenario had not come up in any of their plans. Clearly the girl was making the best use of the situation. In a few moments, then, they would all know where he currently stood on the issue of Roxanne's Sorting, for they knew he would never silently bear any situation he felt went against his moral compass. If he accepted Roxanne's House, he would sit next to her with a quickly murmured apology for his lateness and behavior toward her at the start of the school year. If he did not, he would summon another chair at the opposite end of the table, as far away from the Slytherin girl as possible.

Rose fancied herself at least a decent judge of character, but when an unforeseen third option took place, she was forced to admit that she still had much to learn. Rather than quickly take the empty seat or conjure another, Uncle Percy instead made a speech.

"Everyone, I am very sorry I'm running so behind tonight. Some mischief-makers turned a sleigh in Father Christmas' Grotto at Duke of York Square into a Portkey, and it became a top-priority incident when several Muggle children were sent to the North Pole." He sighed. "If I'm speaking honestly, however, I have to admit that I took the assignment when I could have sent any one of my employees from the Department of Magical Transportation to handle the situation. Truth be told, though I did not expect the issue would take so long to resolve, I wished to delay my coming here for a short while so as to put off my apology."

Rose was beginning to wonder why she hadn't thought of this eventuality in the first place. Uncle Percy loved to talk, and right now he had a captive audience. All members of the family had stopped eating and instead sat staring at him, most with blank expressions.

"Roxanne," he said, turning to face her, "I haven't treated you fairly these past few months, and after a great deal of reflection on my actions I've come to realize I must sincerely apologize. Though Slytherin House possesses several faults and has come to be associated with many a dark wizard, each Hogwarts House is not without its own merits and pitfalls, and many great wizards as well have dressed themselves in emerald and silver."

He took a long deep breath, then continued. "I am sorry, Roxanne. The fact that you were sorted into Slytherin does not make you any less of a witch, nor does it make you any less of a Weasley. I have behaved extremely ill toward you, resorting to such an extreme measure as to ask my own daughters not to associate with you, and you deserve far better than that. You deserve more from your uncle and godfather, and I hope you will forgive me, because I am and always will be exceedingly proud of you."

How could Rose have forgotten that Roxanne was Uncle Percy's goddaughter? And why hadn't Roxanne herself reminded her? This went to the back of her mind, however, as she saw Roxanne wordlessly stand and embrace Percy. She even thought she saw a glimmer of tears on the girl's cheeks, though she quickly chalked it up to a trick of the light.

After a few more moments of awkward silence in which the pair hugged, Uncle George finally broke the tension. "Perce, I'm glad you love my daughter, but shut up and come eat."

 

* * *

 

Orion delivered two letters from Scorpius the day after Christmas, one to each of his closest friends. In them, the young Malfoy politely refused their invitation to stay with the Potters for the remainder of the holidays. After consulting with Albus, however, Rose realized that her parchment contained slightly more information, an explanation for the change of plans: "I am needed at home. My mother is ill."

 

* * *

 

_Scorpius,_

 

_I'm sorry to hear about your mother; I hope it isn't too serious and she recovers quickly. I haven't told Albus, and won't unless you want me to, but please know we're here if you need absolutely anything._

_-Rose_

 

* * *

 

_Scorpius,_

_I'm sorry to bother you when I'm sure you have more pressing things on your mind, but Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry (as well as my own parents) are concerned and keep asking me why you aren't here and how you're doing. What should I tell them?_

_-Rose_

 

* * *

 

_Scor,_

_Your name is far too long to write out fully if I'm to keep writing you this frequently. I hope you approve of the nickname._

_Albus and I haven't heard from you in a week, and we're concerned. I know you must be upset and under a great deal of stress, and you aren't used to sharing your feelings with most… but Albus and I care for you, and we'll be here when you need us._

_-Rose_

_P.S. Will you be returning to Hogwarts? The train leaves tomorrow._

 

* * *

 

_Rosie,_

_I'll see you on the train._

_-Scor_

_And thank you._

 

* * *

 

Albus and Rose found their friend in the last compartment on the train, sitting in the same seat as when they first met him. His blond head was turned away from them and toward the window, though he moved to face them the moment they slid back the glass door. His face, if possible, was paler than usual, and his grey eyes had lost some of their light.

As Rose sat next to him, she considered her options. Though she wanted to find out what was going on with her friend, she also knew well enough to respect Scorpius' wishes not to inform Albus about Astoria's illness. She saw no reason for his decision, though, and curiosity had always been her besetting sin. After a few moments of internal debate, she decided not to ask any questions; Scorpius would have answered her letters if he'd wanted her to know more. But Merlin, that wouldn't make her less worried.

 

* * *

 

Scorpius threw himself into his schoolwork and into Quidditch with renewed vigor, leaving the cousins to wonder what was going on inside his head and when he would confide in them. They did their best to comfort him, to ground him, and to make sure he ate and slept. He relied on them heavily, though no one else would be in a position to take note. And though some days were worse than others, they somehow managed to get through, day by day, letting him slowly return to normal as he had before.

Rose also picked up a new habit: before the holidays she had always preferred to read her textbooks at breakfast and only scanned the headlines of the Daily Prophet, but now the young redhead made sure to thoroughly examine each day's obituaries before Scorpius arrived. She hoped for the best, of course, but thought it better to know if the worst occurred; though she hoped her friend would tell her at least that much, and would come to her if he lost his mother, she honestly wasn't sure anymore


	8. “Web-winged and furious”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title quote from Sylvia Plath

**Second Year**

_Part Four_

 

On the last Saturday in January, the sun shone brilliantly in an azure sky, turning the layer of snow covering the ground and trees into sheets of sparkling crystals. Rose, Albus, and Scorpius were enjoying a rare weekend off from Quidditch practice; their match against Slytherin was not for another month, and Ravenclaw Captain Brian Randall, while he cared about winning, was also greatly concerned with the team's grades and morale. Thus, the trio was able to spend the morning in the Ravenclaw common room doing next week's assignments. Their essay on Hair-Raising Potion, Badgering practice for Transfiguration (first practicing with throw pillows, eventually escalating to their cauldrons), and a quick review of the Disarming Charm and Freezing Charm for Defense Against the Dark Arts were all finished in an hour. They then sought out Gregory Ollivander from their year and House to get tips on the spell Professor Flitwick (now very old but still as sharp as ever) had assigned, the Engorgement Charm.

After lunch in the Great Hall, however, they were at a loss as to how they should proceed. Though Professor Binns had hinted there would be a large essay on the Medieval Assembly of European Wizards assigned in the near future, there was very little mention of it in the text and they had not yet had a lesson on the subject. They were likewise unable to begin the essay on the uses of mandrakes for Herbology, as the plants had not yet grown to full maturity (they had just thrown their first party in Greenhouse Two) and Professor Longbottom occasionally mentioned important facts during lessons that it would be wise to include. That left Astronomy, which none of them was very fond of: all three considered it their weakest subject. This time, Gregory was of no help either, and though there were several older Ravenclaw students around, they all seemed busy with their own studies.

After thirty minutes spent staring blankly at the star chart she was supposed to be filling out and maps she couldn't make heads or tails of, Rose thought it best for them to seek out Andrea Sterling, who had a special talent for the subject. She wasn't in the library, however, and as none of them were Gryffindors they weren't able to check her common room. Just as all seemed lost, they spotted James enter the corridor some distance ahead of them.

"James? Coming from the **library**?" Albus called out to his brother. "What in Merlin's name were you doing in there, fireplace run out of kindling?"

"Ha bloody ha," the older boy shouted back, but he slowed to allow them to catch up. He had a distracted air about him, but he was paying enough attention to taunt Albus as usual. "And what are you doing **outside** the library Al? Already read everything?"

The brothers continued to banter as the group ascended the stairs leading to Gryffindor Tower. Finally, they reached a portrait of an extremely obese woman.

"Well, this is my stop, need to go see Fred about our-" a confused expression crossed his face. "What are you three doing up here, anyway? Miss me that much?"

Before Albus could reply in kind, Rose spoke up, "Actually, we were wondering whether you could see if someone was in your common room for us. A friend of mine, of ours."

"She **is** mostly your friend Rosie, I don't think she can stand me," Albus chimed in.

"I like this girl already," said James. "What's her name?"

"Andy. Andrea Sterling. Our year," Rose replied.

James looked surprised. "She has friends?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She just keeps to herself is all. Met her when she got into a scrape with those Flint arseholes." He grinned ruefully. "She can't stand me, either."

Their conversation was interrupted as the portrait hole swung open, revealing Fred. " **James**?! What the bloody hell, you should be-" he abruptly cut himself off when he realized they were not alone. "Er- hello Rose, Al, Scorpius."

James suddenly looked very anxious. "Right, be back in a moment then," he said in an overly cheerful tone as he turned to climb through the portrait hole.

The silence was deafening. Fred continuously ran his hands through his hair, shifted his weight from foot to foot, and avoided looking at them. Rose wondered what the pair were hiding.

James soon returned, grinning nervously. "She'll be out in a moment. Now, if you'll excuse us." With that, he grabbed Fred by the arm, turned, and headed down the hall at a near sprint.

This was one of those rare moments where Albus' perceptions were on point with Rose's. "Wonder what they're up to now," he muttered. "Ah well, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

Andy soon emerged from the portrait hole, and after a quick explanation from Rose that they needed help with the Astronomy assignment, she agreed to accompany them to the library. "I haven't started it yet, but it can't be too difficult. Could you help me with Potions too, once we're done with the star charts?"

The girls continued to chat as they all headed down the stairs. Once they reached the third floor, however, Rose stopped talking as she glimpsed Roxanne for a moment before the girl turned the corner. She would have sworn her cousin had seen them, and she'd hurried away so quickly…

They had reached the library, though, and all questions about all her family were soon forgotten.

 

* * *

 

Rose dropped her head against the desk, groaning. "Merlin's beard Andy, how do you even understand Astronomy? The maps are so confusing, and all the mindless memorization… it drives me mad."

"It translates well from my old Muggle interests," the Gryffindor girl replied. "Father even built a small planetarium in our upstairs study for my birthday."

Rose lifted her head. "Muggles use Astronomy?"

"Wizards know much more about the night sky than Muggles do, but yes, we- they- do understand quite a bit. It's always fascinated me."

"Well, that explains your proficiency," Rose smiled. "You had a head start."

"I had a lot of time on my hands as a kid, I wasn't allowed to watch the telly or anything of that sort. I had to find ways to entertain myself."

"Like MMA?"

"Like MMA." After a few moments Andy continued. "And you've all had a head start with so much else- in most subjects I'm desperate to catch up."

"Mum's said it was hard, being a Muggleborn and coming into Hogwarts cold like that. It made her work more in her classes, probably helped her in the long run- she hated not knowing things."

Andy smiled. "If only I were as sharp as Hermione Granger, I'd probably feel the same."

Rose glanced down the table to see how Albus and Scorpius were faring on their star charts. Andrea had been able to explain a great deal to them, and all three were now making excellent progress on their last bit of homework of the weekend. It looked as if they would have nearly a day and a half to relax, or in Scorp's case, read even further ahead in the texts. Though he was slowly getting better, as he had before, he'd remained mostly silent for weeks now, and Rose was obviously still concerned with both his wellbeing and his mother's. She was just glad Draco seemed to know his son so well; if the news of Astoria's illness had been broken to Scorpius without any hint of a warning, she couldn't imagine how much worse his reaction could have been to all of this.

"Can you please help me with Potions, when you're done with Astronomy?" asked Andy, interrupting her train of thought. " I don't understand why the different ingredients in a Hair-Raising Potions-"

A loud bang from just outside the library cut the girl off mid-sentence. Rose saw her tense instantly, instincts accumulated over years of fighting kicking in. "Any idea what that was?"

"Probably just some Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs…" The sound of many large, flapping wings filled the air of the library.

"I think we're about to see the prank Fred and James were planning for ourselves," Scorpius said, pulling out his wand. The others followed suit.

Suddenly Rose saw a large, greenish streak flying toward them at high speed from the top of the stacks. "TAKE COVER!" she shouted, diving under the table and hastening Albus and Scorpius by grabbing their elbows and yanking them down with her. Andy was already two steps ahead, peering out at them from under the table's wooden edge. As soon as they were underneath, the tall brunette began to construct a barricade by pulling in all the chairs so as to protect them from the sides, and they quickly made to help her. She was not fast enough, however; the four students heard a thud as something large landed on the top of their table before the task was complete. Rose held her breath as she listened to the thing slowly cross the table, claws scratching its surface as it walked, occasionally emitting a loud, high-pitched squeak. "Don't move," Rose whispered.

Without warning, the creature flew through the gap between two chairs. Rose screamed as it flew toward her head; Albus stared dumbly; Scorpius shot a Freezing Charm and missed; Andy moved quickly toward the creature, acting on impulse.

The creature's head made an ugly squelching sound as Andy hit it, knocking it to the ground, where it remained still.

"Ughhh, it's **slimy** ," the girl said, wiping her hand off on her robes. "What **is** it?"

Rose bent to examine the creature. "It looks like a- a bat? But it's much too large. And the color…"

"It looks like a bogey," said Albus.

Rose rolled her eyes, "It certainly isn't pleasant Al, but this isn't really-"

"He means the Bat-Bogey Hex, Rosie," said Scorpius. "And he's right. This thing looks like the bats that hex makes, only much bigger. Somehow your two third-year cousins managed to cast and enhance what should be at least a fourth-year spell."

Squeaking and flapping sounds filled the air, getting louder by the second. More were coming, and soon.

"Yes, yes, I'm so proud," she snapped. "How do we beat these things, then? I'm not spending the rest of the day hiding under a bloody table just because James and Fred are mental. And why did it come after me specifically?"

"Anyone could see your hair coming a mile away, of course it liked you," said Albus.

"Bats are blind, you pillock," replied Andy shortly. "You spoke, remember Rose? Bats have excellent hearing, it's how they navigate."

"So what, we stay silent under here for the rest of the school year?" asked Al.

"Just until the Professors get this all sorted, Potter. I am not wrestling with giant, flying bits of enchanted snot, if I can help it," said Andy.

"Oh come on, there has to be a way to get out of here," said Rose. "Think about the spells we've learned lately…"

"I don't suppose Badgering would work, would it?" Andy said.

"We are NOT using the Engorgement Charm on those things," said Albus sharply.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Scor, you're the DADA expert. Any ideas?"

"I tried the Freezing Charm, but I missed. Still should work though. Best I've got, anyway."

The noises were nearly deafening now, almost directly overhead.

"Right then. Pull in the rest of the chairs. Aim from between them, try _Immobulus_ first, if that doesn't work, get creative," said Rose in a voice that sounded much more confident than she felt. By the time her parents were her age they'd both faced certain death at least once, and Uncle Harry had already beaten Voldemort twice. How in Merlin's name had they done it? Here she was facing a pack of overgrown booger rodents with wings and she was terrified.

She had little time to reflect on this, however, because the bats soon descended upon them. There was a frenzy of shouting, and jets of blue light were being fired everywhere. It took Rose a few attempts to get her Freezing Charm to work, and several more for her hand to stop shaking enough to aim properly. Finally, though, she hit her first target, quickly followed by her second and third. Once she'd gotten the hang of it, Rose found she was not nearly as anxious as she had been a few moments ago. On the contrary, she found it rather exhilarating. Now that she was more confident with her own spellwork, Rose made an effort to pay attention to the larger battle around her. Scorpius was doing as well as she was, if not better- he truly was a Defense Against the Dark Arts natural. Al hit a few bats, but although he had fast reflexes as a Seeker, they had yet to translate into prowess in a duel and he seemed to have trouble aiming correctly. She also heard the occasional Badgering incantation, giving her a sneaking suspicion that Andrea meant to use this opportunity to complete her Transfiguration homework on a moving mark.

Eventually, all their attackers had either immobilized or turned into the Hufflepuff mascot; the ground surrounding them was strewn with ugly greenish bats and adorably fluffy badgers. Rose scanned her friends quickly, and saw Andy doing the same, but none of them appeared to be injured. The redhead then began to push out one of the chairs from the table in order to escape their makeshift shelter. Albus grabbed her leg. "What are you doing? There could still be more."

"I told you, I'm not staying under here all day. If there are still more then I'd rather go help. Besides, we did well," she smiled.

Scorpius stood up beside her. "I'll come with you."

Andrea was next. "You'll need someone to cover both your bums."

Albus stood reluctantly. "Fine, but only because my brother probably started all this."

The quartet carefully made their way through the rest of the library, looking for other students and keeping an eye out for more of the disgusting mucous bats. They saw two more of the creatures as they passed through the Restricted Section, which Rose and Scorpius dispatched with Freezing Charms. After Andy spotted several more of them roosting in the stacks and turned them into badgers of varying color and size, it became apparent to even Al that the Gryffindor girl was using this opportunity to complete her homework.

"Is now really the time, Sterling?"

"Aren't you Ravenclaws supposed to be crazy about homework?" Rose tried not to be offended by her friend's offhand comment. After all, she did usually enjoy doing her assignments and often went above and beyond the professor's instructions (and earned her House a multitude of points in the process). Instead, she turned her attention to the rows of forbidden books they were passing, her curiosity almost causing her to stop several times as an interesting title or binding caught her eye. Reluctantly she came back to the task at hand; she could always borrow James' Cloak of Invisibility later to access the Restricted Section.

"And besides," Andy continued, "isn't the point of all this homework that we be able to use it when necessary? Well, I'd say this is as good a time as any."

Albus rolled his eyes but let the subject drop.

The library was surprisingly empty, even for a Saturday. Her concern that other students with less talent for fighting would be trapped and unable to adequately defend themselves had thus far proven unwarranted. As they neared the exit, however, they encountered several students from their year. Charlie McLeod and Maeve Macmillan of Hufflepuff, as well as Mary Parker of Gryffindor, had hidden behind a large tapestry depicting the 1612 goblin rebellion but emerged with relief when they heard the group pass. The three began to speak about their experience with the bats simultaneously, paying no heed to their volume, and Rose became apprehensive, anxiously looking up to the lofted ceilings as she quietly cautioned them- "I really don't think we should talk here…"

Her warning was, ironically, delivered too softly, for none but Scorpius and Andy heard her. Suddenly the air was once again filled with a great quantity of flapping and squeaking noises. Abandoning all hope of exiting the library without further detection by the creatures as well as their previous defensive strategy, Andrea shouted at them to run toward the entrance.

Rose and the others had made it halfway across the foyer, successfully fending off the bats that dive-bombed them two or three at a time, when Mary Parker tripped on a large parchment scroll and rolled her ankle. She fell to the ground, a panicked and pained expression on her face. Rose, Andy and Scorpius ran to her as Charlie McLeod slung her arm over his shoulders to help her stand. While he was able to get Mary on her feet for a moment, though, this also pinned his wand arm to his side and left him open to attack. Moments later a bat took advantage of his vulnerability, swooping down and raking its sharp claws over his face and chest repeatedly, causing him to drop Mary back down on her bum. Another bat joined it, then another, creating a frightful green swarm around the poor boy's figure as Mary dragged herself away to avoid being trampled. Andy caught her with a powerful Levitation Charm, sending her quickly floating away toward the exit. Rose sprinted the rest of the distance between her and Charlie, casting Freezing Charms wildly, taking down all but two of his attackers in the process. Several times she felt a bat snag her robes or wrap a claw in her hair, as she was paying too much attention to the Hufflepuff boy to care for her own safety, but thanks to Scorpius' powerful dueling skills and remarkable aim she remained unharmed.

Charlie fell to the ground, wand sliding from his grip and rolling away on the floor. Finally, Rose reached him and immobilized the last two bats at point-blank range. When she quickly knelt in order to inspect him, she didn't like what she saw: the boy had several gashes that were bleeding profusely, pools of scarlet liquid surrounding his body and staining his robes, and she was unable to rouse him. Thinking on her feet, she cast a Feather-Light Charm, making his already slight weight much easier to bear, then scooped him up with Scorpius' help and once again made for the exit. Though both friends were now unable to reach their wands, by now Andy and the others had reached the corridor, and she heard them shooting charms and jinxes at the creatures flying above before they could attack.

As soon as she'd made it through the large doorframe, skinning her knees on the rough stone floor as she collapsed, Maeve and Al pulled the large oak doors shut.

"Bloody hell, that was close," Al sighed in relief.

"Too close. Charlie needs to see Madame Longbottom, now," replied Rose worriedly. She held the Hufflepuff boy's small body with his head cradled in her lap. He still wasn't stirring, and by now portions of his robes were soaked through with scarlet.

"I'll go fetch her," said Andy before hurrying away toward the Hospital Wing.

"Where in Merlin's name are the Professors, the Headmaster?" asked Maeve. "Do you think those horrid things are in other parts of the castle as well?"

Rose bit her lip. "Maybe? The library was nearly empty, though; we may have been the only ones in there when it started. Perhaps the Professors just haven't been alerted yet. Maeve, can you go to the staff room?" The girl agreed, and was soon followed by Scorpius, who thought it best to go to Professor Chang's office individually- she often preferred to grade papers there and they'd just handed in an assignment yesterday.

Once Rose was left alone with the unconscious Charlie McLeod, the preoccupied Mary Parker, and Albus, she said softly but forcefully to her cousin: "I know James and Fred must not have meant any harm by all this, but a part of me still thinks they'll be expelled."

"Don't worry Rosie," he said, "I'm sure the Headmaster will be reasonable."

"Oh, I'm not **worried** ," she sighed ruefully. "I daresay that little voice in my head sounds rather hopeful." She paused. "It would just be so **peaceful** for a change…"


	9. "You die in the middle of your life, in the middle of a sentence"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title quote from 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Greene

**Second** **Year**

 _Part_ _Five_

 

Several witnesses named Fred and James as the culprits of the Bat-Bogey Hex debacle, a claim the two cousins did not deny upon questioning by Headmaster Goshawk. Though the Headmaster and several Professors seemed to believe the prank had required three students rather than two, as did Rose, there was no proof of Roxanne's involvement, and James and Fred were determined to protect her even if it meant more punishment for themselves. Though the cousins were not suspended, it had been a close call, and they were given detentions every weekend for the rest of the year, which barred them from participating in the remaining Quidditch matches.

They were spared from expulsion, largely because they had intended no harm by their prank, and were genuinely shocked and ashamed when they were informed of Charlie McLeod's injuries. The Hufflepuff boy had been sent to St. Mungo's Hospital, though Madame Hannah Longbottom nee Abbott had managed to stop his bleeding before the Headmaster had arrived on the scene; the wounds themselves had been difficult to close, and there was concern about any long-lasting effects of the enhanced spell. James and Fred claimed that Headmaster Goshawk had applauded them (off the record, of course) for their perfection and augmentation of the spell she herself had invented as a young witch, though the trio didn't quite believe their tale.

Charlie returned to Hogwarts in under a week, and Rose approached him the following morning in the Great Hall, offering to help him catch up on his schoolwork. He thanked her profusely, and stated he would likely take her up on the offer in Potions, a subject with which he greatly struggled. They chatted idly for a few minutes, and Rose sat next to him at the Hufflepuff table to have her breakfast once she realized that Charlie was eager for new friends, more intelligent than she'd given him credit for, and would speak with her amiably in his thick Scottish brogue on just about any subject.

When she asked whether his stay at St. Mungo's had been very awful (for she had never had a great liking for hospitals and assumed most people felt the same), however, an unexpected conversation ensued.

"Nae, it wasn' too awful. It was an easy fix. And ma mum is Healer-in-charge on the groun' floor, so I had comp'ny mos' of the time." He paused for a moment, but just as Rose was about to ask whether his mother enjoyed her profession, or make a similarly inane comment, he continued. The boy lowering his voice, and she had to lean in to hear him properly. "I was sorry to hear about Scorpius' mum. How's he doin'?"

She was startled, to say the least, but kept enough of her sense to match his soft tone so no one else would be able to hear their conversation. "I'm sorry, but how did you know?"

"Ma mum works on the groun' floor? Artifact Acciden's? She didn't mean ta gossip, an' I'm the only one she told, but she was always goin' down every half an hour or so ta check on her, so of course eventually I asked. I'll keep it ta myself, I promise."

Rose's head was spinning. Astoria Malfoy was a patient at St. Mungo's?

Questions flooded her lips, nearly overflowing, but she held back. It was best to seem like she was in the know, otherwise Charlie would only feel guilt at exposing her friend's gloomy secret. Rose strove to keep her answer as vague as possible. "Well, it's hard on him, naturally, but considering the circumstances I think he's doing rather well." She couldn't resist throwing in a single question, however. "Did your mum say how long Mrs. Malfoy might be staying at St. Mungo's?"

Charlie's kind face grew somber, and Rose's heart sank. "I can't say, I'm sorry," he whispered, sorrow plain in his voice, but really no words were required. Based on his expression, there were two possible outcomes, neither of which she wanted for her friend: either Astoria would be at St. Mungo's for an extended period, or she wouldn't be there - or anywhere - much longer at all.

 

* * *

  

Though Albus was a gifted Seeker, Thomas Flint also had no small amount talent on a broomstick. What really led Slytherin to win their match against Ravenclaw, though, was the precision and ruthlessness of their Beaters. On the last Sunday in February, Caius Flint and Daniel Pucey once again proved that while they would not put one toe over the line with regard to the Quidditch rulebook, they were by far more powerful players than their Ravenclaw counterparts. It was an exciting match, made less so by the dull, unenthusiastic commentary by 5th year Hufflepuff Sarah Macmillan, Maeve's elder sister.

Albus left the pitch with a broken collarbone, after taking a Bludger to the shoulder in pursuit of the Snitch. Though it hurt like hell, of course, he was glad that at least Rose and Scorpius were allowed to remain by his side in the Hospital Wing.

Once he had been released from Madame Longbottom's care, the Ravenclaw Beaters Andrew Inglebee and Reina Noda tracked him down to apologize for letting the ball slip past them. He quickly silenced their protests, however. Albus knew that they'd done the best they could. The Slytherin team was simply better, and had been for years now. Besides, he rationalized to Rose and Scorpius later, Reina was probably even more disappointed than he was. She was a 7th year, and by now it looked as if they were now out of the running for the Quidditch Cup. That well-aimed Bludger had cost them the game, and unless Slytherin somehow lost to Hufflepuff in May, Reina had lost her last chance to beat the emerald-robed team. 

 

* * *

 

The trio passed the second half of the school year in a fashion similar to that of the first: studying, Quidditch, and lots of time together. They dined next to one another in the Great Hall, lounged in the shade of their oak tree by the Black Lake, visited Hagrid every Friday afternoon for tea and rock cakes, and did their homework in just about every quiet place that Hogwarts and its grounds had to offer.

Scorpius was just as taciturn as he'd been since the Christmas holidays had ended, but this didn't prevent his affection for his friends from growing. On the contrary, he came to rely on them immeasurably. He eventually even informed Albus of his mother's illness, though he still did not tell either him or Rose the cause of her malady or of her stay at St. Mungo's.

Though one would have hardly thought it possible, the three became even more inseparable, and as exams quickly approached it went without question that they would take the same elective classes in their third year. Rose wrote her mother to get an opinion on which subjects they should choose. Though Rose's mum told her it had once been possible to take all the offered courses through use of a Time-Turner, all of these artifacts had been smashed in the Battle at the Ministry and to the best of her knowledge had never been remade. She didn't recommend taking that many classes, anyway, as she'd returned her Time-Turner after only one year. Instead, Hermione suggested that her daughter take three extra subjects, and told her that Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies all had their merits.

When Rose relayed this advice to her companions, they readily agreed and set about deciding which of the four classes they would exclude from their timetables. Care of Magical Creatures was a must, as Hagrid was still its professor and they all loved the half-giant too much to even think of offending him. Here, however, is where they came to an impasse. Albus had never been fond of numbers, and so he refused to take Arithmancy. Rose had learned a great deal about Muggle culture already from her mother and grandparents, as well as from the Muggle school she had attended before Hogwarts, and didn't feel it was necessary to have a class on the subject. And Scorpius, while he excelled in learning languages verbally and knew how to speak a good deal of French and Italian, was not as skilled at the written component and therefore preferred to pass on Ancient Runes. He also wanted to learn more about Muggles, though this he only expressed to his friends after several conversations on the matter. Though his parents had raised him not to look down on Muggles (unlike their parents before them), Draco and Astoria hadn't been able to provide much information on the non-magical population, and he was curious.

Instead, Rose offered a compromise. She agreed to teach Scorpius whatever he wished about Muggle culture in their spare time and lend him selections from her extensive collection of books and music, a plan that he eagerly agreed to. Once their bargain was struck, he signed up to take Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures with her, leaving Al outnumbered. Reluctantly, the middle Potter child added Arithmancy to his timetable after making his friends swear they would assist him if necessary.

 

* * *

  

The Great Hall was decorated with green and silver hangings at the End-of-Term Feast, much to the dismay of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Their House was less than one hundred points behind first place for the House Cup, and it had been winning the Quidditch Cup that put Slytherin just over the edge of victory.

Still, Rose and Scorpius were content in their belief that at the end of their seventh year the Great Hall would be decorated in blue and bronze. In the meantime, she made sure to congratulate Roxanne on her House's accomplishment. The first year had been awarded a rather large number of points earlier in the year by winning the annual Wizard's Chess Tournament - a tradition started by former Headmistress McGonagall to honor her father, just as a Quidditch award for most valuable player had been created for her Uncle Harry and a new wing of the library renamed for her mother. Rose was interested to see whether her cousin would be able to defend the title next year, however, for Hugo would be starting at Hogwarts and he was just as gifted at the game as Roxanne.

They had all passed their final exams with room to spare, of course. Scorpius' obsessive studying had paid off: he beat Gregory Ollivander in Charms by a thin margin, maintained his standing in DADA, and improved all his grades so that the leaders in other subjects had been only one subpar grade away from losing their rank. For now, Rose remained at the top of Potions and History of Magic, Albus in Transfiguration, Andy Sterling in Astronomy, and Charlie McLeod in Herbology.

 

On the Hogwarts Express heading back to London, the three friends sat in a compartment with Andy, Charlie, Gregory, Maeve Macmillan, and Mary Parker. It seemed that their Bat-Bogey Hex adventure had earned them several new friends, though Rose had not spent too much more time with them other than the occasional Potions tutoring session with Charlie.

Throughout the entire journey home, Rose and Albus wanted to ask whether Scorpius would be staying with them at the end of the summer holidays as he had last year, but they didn't dare broach the subject for fear of dredging up thoughts of his mother's illness (which already must be weighing heavily on his mind). Especially not in front of so many others. Instead, Rose sat back, occasionally looking over the top of her book at Scorpius as Andy entertained them all with stories of sparring matches and unusual medical malpractice cases her father had handled. He stared out the window, and as they got closer to Kings Cross she saw him grow edgier, though several times he caught her checking on him and gave her an encouraging half-smile.

Ginny and Harry were the first set of parents to spot the trio on Platform 9 ¾, and they wasted no time inviting the young Malfoy to stay with them before the start of term. Though Scorpius responded graciously, he also avoided giving a direct answer - a fact which all took note of but said nothing about. The trio's parting was easier this year, as each had grown comfortable enough in their friendship to understand it would not be undermined by a few months spent apart. After Albus left with a final wave and a promise to write, Rose and Scorpius were left standing with their trunks and owls.

Draco Malfoy appeared a few moments later, and wasted no time in shaking her hand and asking about her wellbeing. His determination to engage her in conversation surprised her. As his questioning continued, venturing out of the realm of small talk and into a discussion of her interests, it seemed to the redhead that he was genuinely trying to get to know her. She shot Scorpius a startled look, but his expression said he was just as astounded as she was.

 

Finally, however, Draco's intentions were revealed.

"Miss Weasley," he began

"Please, call me Rose," she interrupted

"Rose," Draco said, "I am sure my son has informed you that this is a trying time for our family."

Rose was flabbergasted. "I, um, yes, yes he has. I'm very sorry, Mr. Malfoy."

The man inclined his head slightly to acknowledge her condolences. "Miss Weasley – Rose – by now you know that my son does not open himself up to very many people. The fact that you have become a confidant of his therefore gives me a high estimation of your character."

Rose saw that Scorpius' mouth was hanging open rather comically. "Why, uh, thank you, Mr. Malfoy."

"I know that my son enjoyed spending time with you and your cousin this past summer. Unfortunately, I don't think current circumstances will allow the arrangement to be repeated this holiday, as Scorpius is needed at home."

She wasn't quite sure how to react to this - she'd expected that Scorpius most likely wouldn't be able to stay with them, of course, but she was unsure as to why Draco was bringing this up here and now.

Her unspoken question was quickly answered. "With my son's permission, Rose, I would like to formally grant you permission to stay with us at Malfoy Manor for a portion of the summer months. My wife's condition," here his voice grew darker, "is such that I cannot give you a proper timeline for a potential visit. But please know that if at any point Scorpius chooses to write you to request your presence at Malfoy Manor, you will be welcomed with open arms."

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy," she responded quietly, regaining her composure after recognizing the pains Draco was going through to put himself on good terms with his son's friend, despite the amount of stress and sorrow he must currently be suffering under. Though he was undoubtedly sincere in his offer, his tone was stiff, and she wondered how many times he had rehearsed this little speech. "I would be more than happy to accept any invitation Scorpius extends to stay with you, and I thank you for your hospitality."

He nodded his blonde head in approval of her answer, then with a few more words bid her farewell. Scorpius, meanwhile, had recovered from his shock and reached to give Rose a final hug before leaving just as Hermione and Ron reached them.

"Rosie," her father questioned in a suspicious voice, "what were you talking to Malfoy about?"

"I – I think I was just invited to stay at Malfoy Manor," she said in a daze.

 

* * *

  

After a large meal at the Burrow celebrating the end of another year at Hogwarts, which nearly all of the Weasley-Potter family attended, Rose sent Circe to Malfoy Manor with a hastily scrawled note:

_Scor,_

_Do you have any idea what prompted your father's actions today? Why didn't he approach before Al left? Also, how much does he think I know?_

_-Rosie_

 

She received a reply within the hour. Circe seemed tired and sluggish when she landed on the edge the open windowsill, though upon inspection Rose could see crumbs on the owl's beak and surmised it had gorged itself on too many treats at the Manor. The redhead snorted as she unrolled the parchment covered in Scorpius' neat handwriting.

 

_Rosie,_

_The answer to all your questions is the same: I'm not sure. I know that won't satisfy you, though, so I'll do my best guesswork and fill in some gaps in your knowledge._

_1) You asked why my father granted you permission to stay at Malfoy Manor this summer. I believe he is worried about me, and thinks it would do me good to have someone to rely on here, or at least to know I have the option open if I feel it is necessary. I am not sure whether he expects that I'll ask you to come, or that you'll accept if I do, but I think he intended to relieve any apprehensions either of us may have had on the subject._

_2) You asked why Albus wasn't' extended the same courtesy. My father and I have always been close, and circumstances over the past year have made us even more so. I certainly do not tell him everything, but I believe he was able to gather that while I enjoy Albus' company for many reasons and have come to love him as a brother (please don't tell him I said that, his head is already big enough), his emotional maturity and ability to empathize aren't exactly on that list. Though Father would obviously not turn your cousin away if I were to invite him, Albus' presence would not align with his intent for the invitation (assuming my assumptions are correct, of course)._

_3) You asked how much knowledge Father believes you possess. This answer is the one I am least sure of, as he well understands my hesitancy to confide in and rely on others, but I guess that he assumes you know more than I have told you. Indeed, I have been meaning to tell you more about my mother's illness for some time now, but the timing never seemed to be right and the words would never come to me._

_When I first went away to Hogwarts, Mum and Dad decided to break Malfoy tradition and have another child. Though Mum loves me dearly, I believe she'd always secretly wanted a little girl, and both my parents have always been concerned that I was too lonely. A short while after, Mum began to clear out an old room in an unused wing of the Manor in the hopes of converting it into a nursery._

_She gradually grew weaker, but the signs were hardly noticeable at first. She passed out that Christmas while arguing with Grandfather Lucius, though it was only in retrospect that we realized this was an indication of something more serious at work._

_After a year of unsuccessfully trying for another baby, Mum and Dad became discouraged. As a last-ditch effort, they saw a Healer while I stayed with you and Al over the summer holidays, in the hopes that there was a potion or a charm that could help which they were unaware of. She was the one who informed my parents that my mother's health was declining. Until then, the fainting spells had been blamed on everything from the heat in the kitchens to dress bindings that restricted breathing._

_Once they had seen me off from Platform 9 ¾, Mum and Dad returned to St. Mungo's so they could determine what was wrong. During her stay at the hospital_ _, Mum's health rapidly declined. After Healers were sent to the Manor to investigate any potential sources of her malady, they came across a silver hairbrush she'd discovered while cleaning out the new nursery. It was heavily enchanted with slow-acting Dark curses. Their effects are irreversible, and increase when she isn't near the hairbrush or doesn't use it. The horrid thing now resides on her bedside table at St. Mungo's, and the Healers have asked her to brush her hair with it at least three times a day in the hopes of buying more time._

_The Healers do not expect that she will live to see me start my third year at Hogwarts. Now you understand why Father is so concerned with my state of mind. He visits her at St. Mungo's every day, and though I often joined him over the Christmas holidays and plan to do so again… some days I just can't bring myself to it._

_I'm sorry for not telling you all this sooner; it's much easier to write these things down than to say it out loud. Somehow, it makes them feel much less real._

_Please come visit, Rosie._

_-Scor_

 

Rose was rendered speechless. She'd had no idea of the scope of Astoria Malfoy's illness, and now felt horribly insensitive not to have seen her friend's sorrow. Yes, he hadn't told her, and he'd tried to hide his emotions, but if she had paid as much attention as she should have been, maybe she could have stepped in to comfort him sooner. How must Scorpius feel, watching his mother be slowly drained of life in front of his eyes?

And now, that he had confided in her? What was she to do? She was absolute rubbish at comforting people. How in Merlin's name was she to help Scorpius through this? This wasn't a potion or a spell, a bit of schoolwork from a textbook. She didn't have any answers, any way to fix this, and she couldn't go to the library or to a professor to find them.

Unlike any every problem she had faced before, here there was no solution: no matter what she did, Scorpius would still lose his mother. Rose was brought back to the night she'd been locked outside the Ravenclaw dormitories, during her first week at Hogwarts - she hadn't had the answer then, either, although at least one had existed. She thought of the way Scorpius face lit up when she first called him her friend; he hadn't smiled like that for far too long, now.

She realized he must still be waiting, or at least hoping, for a reply. What should she write? Would it be better to acknowledge his confession, or should she refrain from reminding him of his situation? After taking several deep breaths, she wrote:

 

_Scor,_

_I'm sorry. Name a day and I'll be there._

_-Rosie_

 

Once she'd sent Circe back to Malfoy Manor (the owl had bitten her finger in protest of being sent out twice in one night), Rose collapsed onto her bed. Now, the only thing was convincing her parents to let her stay with the Malfoys... which was certainly easier said than done.

 

* * *

 

Rose concocted a plan to persuade her parents just as she would follow the recipe of a potion. Though she didn't usually approve of manipulation, she felt that these were extenuating circumstances, and would therefore use nearly any means necessary. First, once Circe had rested, she wrote to Albus:

 

_Al,_

_I need a favor; after this, consider us even for the time I saved you from Delilah Macnair and her enchanted Pepper Imps._

_Scorpius has emotionally taken a turn for the worse since we've left Hogwarts, and I'm worried for him. I'd like to try to visit at Malfoy Manor, but as of now I don't believe my parents would agree to it. When we come to your house for dinner on Friday, please continually commend Scorpius- tell them how polite he is when he stays with you, how studious and intelligent he is, how much Hagrid enjoys having the three of us for tea, etc. It will be transparent, but that's the idea. If you can, bring one or both of your parents into it, but not if you think it'll backfire. Do **not** tell them specifics unless absolutely necessary._

_Thanks,_

_Rose_

 

Though she hated keeping things from Albus, particularly the personal invitations to visit from both Scorpius and his father, Rose knew it would be best to in this case to hold back.

She received two scrolls of parchment the next day. The first was from her cousin, and with it Al proved yet again that despite his utter cluelessness where most people were concerned, somehow he was always able to read between the lines of her horrible penmanship.

 

_Rose,_

_I'm glad you're looking out for him- I've been worried too. Though I'd like to visit Malfoy Manor with you at some point in the future, now wouldn't be the best time. He needs someone more perceptive, understanding. I'll do whatever you need. As for my parents, Mum loves him, and I'm sure Dad can be persuaded to advocate on his behalf._

_-Al_

 

The second was from Scorpius:

 

_Rosie,_

_Dad agrees that the end of July would most likely be best, though circumstances may change between then and now. I'm sorry I can't be more specific._

_Thank you, for everything_

_-Scor_

 

Draco sent a letter to her parents the following day. She recognized the orange owl from countless breakfasts in the Great Hall, where it would deliver Scorpius letters sealed with the Malfoy crest and perch itself on the boy's slight shoulder. The bird apparently recognized her too, because it swooped over where she sat in the garden as a farewell before taking to the skies once more.

Rose wasn't sure which of her parents read the letter first, but when she came back inside later that afternoon the tension in the air made it clear that both were well aware of its contents.

 

* * *

 

The next step on Rose's agenda was to speak to her mother. She brought up the idea hesitantly Thursday night in the kitchen, sitting on the counter as her mother attempted to bake a cake to bring to the Potters' the next evening. After reminding her mother that Mr. Malfoy said she was welcome to visit the Manor at any time, she mentioned that Scorpius was not in the best of spirits as of late and could use a houseguest to cheer him. Hermione responded with a more violent negative than Rose had expected, however. She'd known that her father would be difficult to convince, but she had at least expected to have her mother's support.

After a few minutes of intense, seemingly illogical argument (the first they had had in years), Rose internally smacked her own head- she had completely forgotten about the war. Of course Hermione didn't want her daughter to visit Malfoy Manor, she had been tortured there!

If Rose had remembered before initiating the conversation, she would have approached the subject more delicately, but as she had now chosen this path and was forced to stay on it, after a few more minutes she instead blurted out: "Mum, Scorpius isn't his father, and he bloody well isn't his grandfather. I understand what happened there when you were younger, but I swear things are different now- they've even closed off that part of the house, the parlor is boarded up and gathering dust and no one is allowed to enter. I understand you have problems with Scorpius' family, but he's my best mate and he needs me; please don't make him lose trust in the only person he confides in just because of his surname."

"Why does this matter so much, Rose? To you, and to Draco? If Scorpius needs company, why doesn't he stay here or at the Potters'? I'm trying to understand sweetheart, but I feel as if I'm not being told the entire truth."

Rose paused a moment to weigh her options. "His Mum is ill," she finally replied quietly. "Don't ask me to say more, I can't. But Scorpius rarely admits when he needs help Mum, and this time he's asked me. Please don't make me say no."

"And you're sure you won't be in the way?" Hermione asked, matching her daughter's tone.

"Neither father nor son would have invited me if that were true. I think he just needs someone to support him through this."

Hermione sighed. "I don't suppose you have an idea of how to bring this up to your father?"

Rose smiled. "I was hoping you'd ask that. Mention it to him just before we visit the Potters tomorrow, then say something kind about Mr. Malfoy at the dinner, and I'll take care of the rest."

 

* * *

 

Dinner went as well as Rose had hoped. It started when Hermione, as planned, made a favorable comment about Mr. Malfoy's collection of alchemical manuscripts, which was reputed to be one of the most extensive in wizarding Britain and contain several unique texts acquired over decades. Ron replied with a grumbled comment about the Malfoys, just as Rose had hoped. She kicked Albus' ankle under the table, making him knock over his water glass, but he got the message and immediately began to praise Scorpius. There were bumps in the conversation, yes, but the Potters all played their parts brilliantly; even James had chimed in once or twice about Scorpius' skills on a broom and his courtesy to him and the rest of their cousins. Though of course Ginny, Harry and James had no idea why they had been asked to speak kindly about Scorpius (and may have reacted quite differently had they been informed), Ron assumed they were all in the know and had chosen to gang up on him. He reacted in his usual fashion at first, complete with a red face and lots of shouting about blood purists, complete with the phrases "stupid git" and "bloody hell", but by the end of the onslaught he had been worn down enough that Rose was able to slip in her own request to visit the Manor without his outright refusal.

"I'm just worried for you, sweetheart," he said as they took a stroll in Aunt Ginny's garden. "I don't trust that the Malfoy git won't hurt you."

She smiled up at him. They had always been close, though her friendship with Scorpius had recently tested the boundaries of their relationship. While her mother understood her intelligence and drive, it was her father who had always accepted if not comprehended the way she saw the world. "I'm thirteen now Dad- I'm not little any more."

"You'll always be my little girl, Rosie," he murmured, then sighed. "But your mother is right- I suppose it's time to let some things go. I still don't like it, or them, but you can stay with the Malfoys." He then quickly added, "But I expect an owl a day, or I'm sending in Uncle Harry with half the Auror Department behind him."

She laughed, then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on his scruffy cheek. He scooped her up into a hug, swinging her in a circle to elicit a laugh. For now, at least, they were back to normal.

 


	10. “The place where you live is that much more drab and empty”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title quote from “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” by stephen King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been writing a lot of IronStrange lately, but I haven’t forgotten about y’all I promise <3
> 
> Also.... I’m sorry in advance for this. You can see from the first sentence that this chapter is going to have feels. *Hands tissues and chocolate*

**Third Year**

_Part One_

 

Astoria Malfoy passed away in the beginning of July, five days before Rose's stay at Malfoy Manor was set to begin. Scorpius sent a letter just after sunrise to inform her and hesitantly asked whether she would be able to move up the trip to that evening. His style of writing, colder and more detached than usual, suggested he was still in shock. She wrote back in the affirmative after clearing the change with her parents; this time she made no attempt to conceal from them the reason for the sudden switch, as she'd been told the obituary would be published in tomorrow's Daily Prophet.

The rest of the morning and afternoon passed in a dazed blur, as Rose went wildly against her usual organized style by throwing items into her trunk without folding clothes or alphabetizing books. Finally, when she was packed and there was naught to do but wait for the allotted time, Rose could find nothing more to distract her from harsh reality.

Though Astoria had been more than kind to Rose during their first and only meeting on Platform 9 ¾, the girl found she couldn't concentrate on her sorrow for the death of the woman herself. Rather, Rose's grief focused on her friend's loss, and the pain he must be experiencing. How she longed to be with him at this very minute, so that she could… but here she drew a blank. What could she do to console a boy she knew rather well, though not for very long, on the loss of his mother? What, really, was there to be said? Scorpius would be grieving, yes - that was normal, unavoidable. But was there really anything she could do to lessen his suffering, or to shorten its duration? She didn't believe there was.

Briefly she considered brewing a Forgetfulness Potion so that, at least temporarily, he wouldn't be troubled, but soon reprimanded herself for the thought. Playing with emotions could be disastrous when done without serious consideration of the repercussions. Scorpius needed to feel the pain of losing his mother, no matter how hard it was to bear or how deeply Rose wished she could shield him. It was necessary so that he may heal, with time.

When the moment of her departure came, she hugged her parents fiercely once more, then stepped into the emerald green flames of her own fireplace and said in a clear voice "Malfoy Manor." For a few moments, the world around her spun, a kaleidoscope of color. Upon reaching her destination, Rose stepped over a sophisticated black metal grate and into a beautiful drawing room. She momentarily stood in awe of the scene around her - handsome dark wood floors and paneling, amazingly detailed paintings and rugs, glass cases filled with impressive artifacts - until she saw her friend as he stood from his seat in a leather armchair.

Scorpius' skin was even paler than usual, providing stark contrast with dark shadows beneath his eyes; his jumper hung from his frame in awkward places, collarbone more prominent than it had been a little over a month before. What upset Rose most, though, were his eyes: their blue-grey color had lost all depth, as if they were pools of water that had now frozen over. They were distant, cold, and seemed to cut her like glass where she stood.

After a slight, uncomfortable pause, she crossed the distance between them and embraced her friend. He did not return the gesture, but rather stood stiffly in her arms. "I'm sorry, Scor," she said, refusing to let go, and after a moment he murmured "Thank you," in a strange, almost strangled tone. "Welcome to Malfoy Manor. I should show you to your room."

The rest of the house was even grander than the drawing room. It was just as beautiful as Rose had expected, yet as Scorpius took her on a half-hearted tour she could barely even focus on memorizing routes to important rooms such as the library and dining room, much less the craftsmanship of the main staircase, or the numerous chandeliers set with what were probably real diamonds and emeralds. All she could really think about was the sudden reversion of her friend's demeanor back to what it must have been before that first day on the Hogwarts Express. He was distant and seemingly devoid of emotion, and it certainly reflected an even larger internal change wrought by his mother's death.

No wonder his father was concerned for his mental state- it was clear the Malfoy boy had never learned how to openly express his feelings, which was relatively unsurprising given his family and what she knew of his upbringing. Though Draco certainly loved his son, as had Astoria, Rose doubted the ability of both to teach Scorpius about the potential psychological damage of compartmentalization. Just as last year, her friend once again seemed determined to keep everything bottled up, though certainly to a greater extent. Even if that meant shutting Rose out in the process.

After showing her around the main portion of the Manor, Scorpius left Rose to her own devices so that she may settle in and freshen up before dinner. Once she had changed out of her soot-spotted jumper and into a more elegant shift dress, she decided to test her knowledge of the Manor's layout rather than focus on the more serious matter of her friend's mental state.

A good ten minutes of searching resulted in her arrival at what she thought was the library. Eager to examine the family's immense collection more thoroughly and yearning for the familiar feeling of a book in her lap and thick parchment pages between her fingers, Rose pushed open the double doors. She immediately recoiled: she had mistakenly found her way back to the drawing room, where Scorpius' father now sat with red-rimmed eyes.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm terribly sorry I disturbed you," she said in a rush. "I was looking for the library... I'll go now."

As she made to exit, however, he called out to stop her. "No, please, stay," Draco said hoarsely.

Unable to refuse his request, she wordlessly entered the drawing room and sat across from him, in the armchair Scorpius had recently vacated. She pretended not to notice as the man dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief.

"I am glad you have arrived, and I hope your journey was quick and smooth."

"It was, thank you Mr. Malfoy."

"And I trust Scorpius has shown you to your room, as well as the rest of the house."

She nodded. They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, until finally Rose resolved to address the elephant in the room, as was proper. "I truly am sorry for your loss, Mr. Malfoy."

He nodded nodded. "Thank you, Rose." The girl expected this to be the end of things, but he soon continued. "And I apologize for startling you. I never spent a great deal of time in this room when my wife was alive, but now that she has passed I don't often leave it."

"Did she have a particular affinity for it, Mr. Malfoy?"

"No, I daresay she rather hated it."

She was puzzled, both about his answer and why he seemed to be opening up to her, but considered it rude to question him further.

Draco gestured to the glass cases lining the walls of the room, filled with everything from shrunken body parts to exquisitely sinister pieces of jewelry. "While Astoria often enjoyed examining my library of alchemical manuscripts, she was decidedly less fond of my other hobby - which is why it was relegated to a room we seldom use. And yet I can't help but wonder whether I would have recognized her symptoms more quickly, had I paid more attention to my collection of Dark artifacts." His voice lowered. "I wonder whether I could have saved her."

"I'm sure you did all you could, sir," she said softly. Thinking of Scorpius, and of how hopeless she felt when she thought of the new coldness in his grey eyes, Rose continued, "That's all any of us can do, really…though sometimes it doesn't feel like our best is nearly enough."

The man laughed humorlessly. “It seems to be a pattern for me. I’ve always tried my hardest, I’ve never been one to slouch. But when I look back on most of my life’s actions, it seems that the paths I toiled on were seldom the right ones to take. Thanks to the money and information and... less savory services... I provided after the War, most of the wizard world has forgiven my actions back then. But I know that I will never forgive myself for what I did in my family’s name, and I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive myself for this either.”

Rose was at a loss for what to say, but thankfully Draco quickly spoke again. “My apologies, Rose. It isn’t fair to burden you with these things.”

After a pause, Rose spoke hesitantly.  “At least you’re grieving, sir. I only hope that Scorpius begins to do the same. From what I've seen, I'm worried for him."

Draco nodded. "I am as well."

* * *

Soon after their surprisingly heartfelt conversation in the drawing room, Mr. Malfoy and Rose Weasley sat down to a formal dinner with Scorpius. The room remained painfully silent as house-elves clad in snowy white garments delivered endless platters of food- no one had the energy or desire to make small talk, and the air hung thick with things left unsaid. Rose's concern for Scorpius only grew, as she observed him pushing food around his plate rather than consuming it. When at last the tense affair was over, she followed him up the stairs to their rooms, leaving Draco to brood over another goblet of nettle wine. Just as her friend was about to bid her goodnight outside the door of her chamber, however, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside. He uttered no sound of protest, merely following her limply, as if he had been Imperiused.

"Please talk to me, Scor," she implored softly once she had closed the door behind them.

"What is there to say, Rose? My mum is dead," he replied in that same strangled tone.

"Surely you must be feeling something, right now. It's good to talk about your thoughts and emotions, not keep them all bottled up like I've seen you doing since I got here. Please don't shut me out. I came here to help you through this, not watch you drive yourself mad without eating or sleeping or talking."

He stiffened. "If you don't want to be here Rose, you are more than welcome to leave at any point."

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, that's not what I meant and you know it," she chastised, before softening her tone. "Of course I'll stay. For as long as you need me. But why did you invite me in the first place if you were only going to shut me out and pretend you aren't in pain?"

He closed his eyes. "What use is it to say what I'm feeling? She's gone either way."

"Because you can only accept her...” she hesitated a moment before using the word, "... _death_ , by mourning her first. By denying what you're feeling, all you're doing is hurting yourself more."

His eyes opened to look at her, rimmed with tears that began to slowly run down his cheeks. "But how can I let myself feel her death when it's my fault it happened? If I let myself accept she is gone… And even if I could, what does it matter if I do what's best for myself when she can't come back?"

Rose stared at her friend. "Why the bloody hell do you think losing your mum is your fault?"

Scorpius looked away from her. "She died because she - they- wanted another child. I let them down. I wasn't what they thought, what they expected me to be. Maybe if I were a Slytherin, some Potions prodigy like you, they would have been happy with just me - they wouldn't have needed another kid to be what I'm not. And she never would have found that hairbrush." He lowered his voice. "I know it isn't really true- it's mad and illogical - but I can't stop thinking that if I were a Slytherin, she'd still be here."

For a few moments, Rose wasn't sure what to say. She had gotten to this point in their conversation with her Ravenclaw reasoning and Gryffindor-like brashness alone, but as those characteristics now only made her inclined to shout at him that Astoria's death wasn't his doing, it seemed this would require more emotional finesse. Looking back on her conversation with Mr. Malfoy, and how she seemed to have said what he needed to hear by relating his circumstance to her own, she resolved on a course of action.

Rose placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Scorpius," she said quietly. "Look at me."

His blue-grey eyes, still looking as if they were frozen over, met her own. "Your mum loved you very much; and your dad loves you too, though he isn't always the best at showing it. They were - and are - proud of you. You know that. They weren't trying to have another child to continue the Malfoy legacy in Slytherin." She paused. "Didn't you tell me your parents wanted a girl?"

Scorpius nodded.

"Well I hate to break it to you Malfoy, but although you're handsome, I really don't think you're pretty enough to qualify."

He raised his brows, the harsh line of his mouth momentarily twitching upward.

"So even if you were Sorted into Slytherin," she continued, trying to mimic James' drawling tone he employed when saying something that was simultaneously funny and offensive, "I don't quite see how you could have fulfilled their hopes on that one. It would have been entertaining to see you try though, and if you ever feel the urge you're free to raid my wardrobe."

Scorpius was smiling faintly, now. The color of his eyes had returned to its former warmth.

"And Scor?" she added. "If your parents were so concerned with trying to preserve Malfoy ideals, why in the name of Merlin's saggy left butt cheek would your Dad have invited a **Weasley** to stay at Malfoy Manor?"

At this he openly laughed; though the first chuckle sounded as if it had been forced out of him, once he'd started it appeared he couldn't stop. After a minute or two of hysterical laughter, tears of mirth eventually turned to ones of sorrow. Rose pulled him closer into a hug as sobs began to wrack his slight frame. He tucked his head into her shoulder, staining the front of her dress, but she couldn't care less about her clothes right now. "Rosie, I miss her," he said in a plaintive, almost childlike tone, distorted slightly from tears. "I miss her so much and it **hurts**."

* * *

Rose attended the funeral along with her parents, the Potters, and other important representatives of wizarding society. For once, Lucius Malfoy made no rude or degrading comments to any member of the Weasley family.

The ceremony itself was simple and beautiful. Those who had been close to Astoria spoke of her kindness, generosity, and love for her family as she was placed inside the large and ancient Malfoy crypt. As the heavy doors of the family tomb were closed once more, a large asphodel vine with stunning white flowers grew swiftly to cover them. Rose looked across the crowd to see Neville Longbottom, who met her gaze and nodded; it seemed Mrs. Malfoy had made all kinds of unlikely friends during her lifetime.

Though many witches and wizards in attendance at first questioned the presence of the red-haired Rose Weasley in one of the seats reserved for family members, the protests were quickly hushed. This was not a day for feuds, old prejudices, or questions of blood purity. All that mattered to Rose, and to everyone who argued in her favor, was that Scorpius had refused to let her leave his side, and she had – of course – agreed.


	11. I'm sorry

Hi everyone, 

So, those who follow this story on FFN already know this, but due to personal reasons I'm not going to be able to complete this fic. I've written up to fall of 7th year on FFN and published a summary of what would have happened after that point if I'd been able to finish. I won't be posting updates transferring that material onto here, so if you want to read further I'd suggest going there. 

Again, I'm so sorry for doing this.


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